NOVEL FIBER SENSOR ARRAYS USING ERBIUM-DOPED FIBER AMPLIFIERS

We examine the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance of a novel type of time domain multiplexed sensor arrays in which low gain (1-10 dB) fiber amplifiers are incorporated to compensate for splitting losses b etween sensors, The system noise figure for passive and amplified sens or arrays is presented, along with expressions to optimize the array p arameters for high SNR's, We show that practical amplified sensor arra ys exhibit low system noise figures that allow much larger arrays (hun dreds of sensors) than passive arrays.