Simple method to identify the spatial location better than the pulse length with high strain accuracy.

The second-order partial derivative of the Stokes signal with respect to frequency and position shows a maximum or minimum at the boundary between two different strained sections. This idea is used to locate the boundary of different stress regions. Knowing the boundaries, we then fit the Brillouin spectrum at the middle between them to get the strain value. This allows a location accuracy of between 5 and 10 cm, which is shorter than the pulse length of 20 cm used in the experiment. The lowest detectable Brillouin frequency difference between two strain sections is 1.2 MHz.