High-Resolution Optical Time Domain Reflectmetry Based on a Broadband Continuous Wave Multimode Laser Diode

Abstract

A broadband light source can be obtained by operating a multimode laser diode with a bias current below threshold. We propose an optical time domain reflectometer for high-resolution with a broadband cw multimode laser. The emission spectrum of the multimode laser diode that affects an interference signal is investigated. With this method, the spatial resolution is measured as 11.5 μm, corresponding to that of 38.3-fs pulses, and a minimum detectable reflectivity <?90 dB is achieved.