Ultrahigh scan-rate quasi-distributed acoustic sensing system using array match interrogation

Inspired by compressed sensing techniques, a method for significantly enhancing the maximum allowable scan rate in quasi-distributed acoustic sensing (Q-DAS) is described and studied. Matching the scan parameters to the interrogated array facilitates orders of magnitude improvement in the scan rate and a corresponding increase in the maximum slew rate (SR) of differential phase variations which can be measured without ambiguity. The method is termed array matched interrogation (AMI). To improve the method's SNR, maximum number of sensing sections and maximum range, the interrogation pulse can be replaced by a perfect periodic autocorrelation (PPA) code. This version of the method is referred to as coded array matched interrogation (C-AMI). The implementation of C-AMI is not trivial and requires special design rules which are derived and tested experimentally. The design rules ensure that the 'folding' of the returning peaks of the Q-DAS array into a scan period, which is much shorter than the fiber's roundtrip time, will not lead to overlaps. The method demonstrated a scan rate of 20 times higher than the common limit and measurement of unprecedented slew-rate of 10.5 ×106 rad/s.