STATISTICAL PROPERTIES OF RAYLEIGH BACKSCATTERING IN SINGLE-MODE FIBERS

Theoretical and experimental studies show that the statistical properties of Rayleigh backscattering depend on the laser linewidth. An analytical model is given here taking into account the influence of the laser linewidth on Rayleigh backscattering. For an unmodulated source the power spectral density is found to be identical to the delayed self-homodyne spectrum of the laser. The backscattered signal was measured for different laser linewidths and the results are compared with the theory. The implications of Rayleigh backscattering noise on fiber gyroscopes and bidirectional optical systems are discussed. © 1990 IEEE