PXA-1000
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Distributed Polarization Crosstalk Analyzer—PolaX™ PXA-1000 General Photonics Corp. 5228 Edison Ave. Chino, CA 91710 Tel: 909.590.5473 Fax: 909.902.5536 Email: info@generalphotonics.com Website: www.generalphotonics.com The Distributed Polarization Crosstalk (X-Talk) Analyzer (PXA1000) is an enhanced version of a white light interferometer designed to obtain space-resolved stress information by analyzing stress-induced polarization cross-coupling along a length of polarization maintaining (PM) fiber. Its patentpending optical design eliminates the strong zero-order interference and reduces the multi-coupling interference common in traditional white light interferometers, both of which can cause “ghost” peaks in the measured signal. The removal of the “ghost” peaks enables the PXA-1000 to unambiguously identify the magnitudes and locations of actual x-talk peaks, resulting in higher measurement sensitivity, higher dynamic range, and higher spatial measurement accuracy than traditional white light interferometers. The PXA-1000 also enables the use of the PM fiber itself as the sensing medium, eliminating the need to place multiple fiber gratings along the fiber. It can therefore obtain higher spatial resolution of the stress distribution than grating-based systems. Because no discrete sensing elements are required, the system is easy to install and calibrate, making it ideal for monitoring space-resolved structural changes along bridges, tunnels, dams, oil pipes, or buildings. It can also be used as an intrusion detection system, because any mechanical disturbances to the PM fiber will cause polarization coupling. Another important application is PM fiber quality inspection. The PXA-1000 easily identifies defective sections of PM fiber, enabling the manufacturers or users to remove them. Furthermore, the PXA-1000 is ideal for quality inspection and screening of PM fiber coils, since it can pinpoint the locations of imperfections or areas of local stress on the fiber coil induced during the fiber winding process. The PXA-1000 comes with a notebook computer equipped with PolaXView™ software, which displays the location and polarization coupling ratio of each stress point as a function of distance, and flags stress points with polarization coupling above a user defined trigger threshold. A quality inspection report window indicates the pass/fail status of the PM fiber or PM fiber coil, with a list of the locations and polarization coupling strengths of all stress points. Other applications of the instrument include measuring the extremely high polarization extinction ratio of a polarizing waveguide, obtaining the autocorrelation function of a light source, measuring the birefringence of a PM fiber and the lengths of PM and SM fibers, and matching the optical path lengths of an interferometer. Preliminary Specifications: Operation Wavelengths Polarization X-talk dynamic range System noise floor Polarization X-talk resolution Polarization X-talk accuracy1 Measurement or sensing range (Assuming PM fiber Δn of 5 x10-4) Measurement speed2 Spatial resolution PER measurement range Spatial accuracy Waveguide polarization dependent attenuation LiNbO3 waveguide spatial resolution SLD Power SLD bandwidth SLD PER Software Operating Temperature Storage Temperature Power Supply Communications interface Display Dimensions 1310 or 1550 nm 75 dB ( for DUT output power >5dBm ) −95 dB 0.25 dB 0.5 dB 1.3 km standard, 2.6 km optional 8 s/ 100 m (with fiber Δn = 5 x10-4) 5 cm (assuming no fiber dispersion, birefringence Δn=5x10-4) > 30 dB ±20 cm (fiber Δn =5x10-4 ) Applications: Distributed stress sensing Structural change monitoring in bridges, tunnels, dams, and buildings PM fiber quality inspection PM fiber coil winding in-process monitoring PM fiber coil quality inspection Polarizing waveguide quality inspection Intrusion detection > 75dB ( for DUT output power >5dBm ) 0.75 mm >10 dBm > 30 nm >20 dB PolaXView™ data analysis/display software 10 to 50 °C −20 to 60 °C 100-240VAC, 50-60 Hz USB Notebook computer with USB connection 2U, ¾ 19” rack width 3.5” (H) x 14” (W) x 14” (D) Notes: 1. At 23 ± 5°C. 2. Time listed includes measurement period only. After a new measurement range is set, the instrument may require additional time for internal setup before beginning the measurement. Unique Features: High spatial resolution: 5 cm PM fiber as intrinsic sensing element 75 dB X-talk dynamic range 30 dB PER measurement range Large fiber measurement range: 2.6 km Ordering Information: PXA – 1000 – XX – XX Wavelength: 13 = 1310nm 15 = 1550nm Connector Type: FC/PC, FC/APC SC/PC, or SC/APC

Typical Performance Data: PXA (SLD) Output connector PXA Input reference PXA Output reference mark1 Mark 1 Figure 1. Verification of measurement accuracy: The x-talk peaks at marks 1 and 2 correspond to two fiber splices whose relative angles were calculated to produce a given amount of xtalk. The measured values show very close agreement with the calculated values. Figure 2: PM fiber quality inspection: Polarization x-talk measurement of 1000 m of raw fiber. High x-talk (−47 dB) is observed at 381 m. Maximum x-talk Average x-talk : −67 dB Figure 3. PM fiber coil quality inspection: Average...