Simplified Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis sensor based on a chopped microwave applied single sideband electro-optic modulator

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel scheme of the Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis (BOCDA) using a single sideband electro-optic modulator (SSBM). In the work, the SSBM is used to get carrier suppressed upper sideband for the pump wave, and also lock-in detection is used by applying chopped microwave to SSBM for chopping the pump wave. This implementation enables us to eliminate an additional intensity modulator (IM) for lock-in detection in conventional BOCDA scheme. In the experiment, a 100-m measurement range with 8-cm spatial resolution is successfully achieved.