Ultrasonic imaging of seismic physical models using a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating.

We report what is to our knowledge the first ultrasonic imaging of seismic physical models by using a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PS-FBG). Seismic models, which consist of multiple layer structures, were immersed in water. Piezoelectric (PZT) transducer was used to generate ultrasonic waves and a PS-FBG as a receiver. Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonic images were reconstructed by scanning the PS-FBG with a high-precision position scanning device. In order to suppress the low-frequency drift of the Bragg wavelength during scanning, a tight wavelength tracking method was employed to lock the laser to the PS-FBG resonance in its reflection bandgap. The ultrasonic images captured by the PS-FBG have been compared with the images obtained by the geophysical imaging system, Sinopec, demonstrating the feasibility of our PS-FBG based imaging system in seismic modeling studies.