Accuracy enhancement in Brillouin scattering distributed temperature sensor based on Hilbert transform

The scattering optical signal of OTDR based Brillouin scattering distributed sensor is very weak and have a frequency width of several decades megahertz, so it is hard to perform the traditional analogue coherent demodulation. A novel optical coherent detection based on Hilbert transform is presented here. In detail, Brillouin backscattering light is coherent detected with the reference light, which is modulated by microwave electric optical modulator to produce frequency-adjustable light, then the detected photocurrent signal is demodulated by digital signal processing based on Hilbert transform, and at last the distributed sensing signal with better S/N ratio is gained, which can enhance the performance of the sensor. The simulation and experimental results of the detection method are given.