Observation of Rayleigh scattering by simplified optical correlation-domain reflectometry without frequency shifter

Abstract We present a method for measuring the transmission loss of an optical fiber using simplified optical correlation-domain reflectometry. By intentionally lowering the spatial resolution of the system, we observe the Rayleigh scattered signal for the first time without the need for a frequency shifter. Using this method, we simultaneously measure the transmission loss, location, and loss of faulty connections along a 10 km long fiber under test by performing distributed reflected-power measurements of Rayleigh scattering and Fresnel reflection.