High-efficiency cross-correlation algorithm for optical frequency domain reflectometry distributed sensing

Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) has emerged as a core technology in the field of distributed fiber-optic sensing due to its advantages of high spatial resolution and large dynamic range. However, the traditional cross-correlation demodulation algorithm is excessively high, resulting in a significant degradation of the system’s real-time performance. Here we propose an efficient cross-correlation algorithm based on the Chirp-Z Transform, which significantly reduces computational complexity. The analysis shows that the computational complexity of new method has been decreased by over 4400 times compared to traditional algorithms while maintaining the same high resolution. This research provides crucial theoretical support and methodological innovation for real-time applications of OFDR technology.