A novel method for measuring optical fiber delay lines based on the optical fiber low-coherence Young's interferometer

According to the principle of double-beam interference imaging using an infrared broadband light source, a novel method based on the optical fiber low-coherence Young's interferometer for the measurement of programmable optical fiber delay line is proposed. By measuring the small length increments of delay fiber through the evaluation of the central positions of zero-order interference fringes, we successfully construct a system with a variety of important functions, such as real-time controlling, measurement and displaying. This system offers the benefit that it can be regulated precisely to generate interference stripes once again after the length of fiber segment changes. When the locations of central stripes are moved to coincide with the original markers, the determination of the corresponding fiber optical delay time becomes really simplified, as just by reading out the tinny displacement of the reference arm. Multiple groups of experimental results demonstrate the outstanding performance of the proposed system since it bears a measuring accuracy of μm and a measuring range from 1 mm to 20 cm.