AllianStream Photonics × Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Two Breakthrough DAS Achievements Presented at OFC 2026, Leading the Frontier of Fiber Optic Sensing via Industry-University-Research Collaboration

The Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) is the world’s premier conference and exhibition for optical fiber communication, bringing together scientists, engineers, and industry leaders to showcase and discuss cutting-edge photonics and networking technologies.

At OFC 2026, Ningbo AllianStream Photonics Technology Co., Ltd. together with the research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) made a stunning appearance with innovative achievements from in-depth industry-university-research collaboration. Two cutting-edge papers on Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) were both accepted, and one was selected as a Top-Scored Paper, fully demonstrating China’s strong technical prowess in the field of fiber optic sensing.

Notably, Prof. Zuyuan He, Chief Scientist of AllianStream Photonics and Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was invited to deliver an invited talk entitled Advances of Optical Fiber Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS) at a dedicated Workshop. He systematically shared the latest progress and typical application cases of fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing, attracting wide attention.

🌟 Achievement 1: Hybrid Photonic Integrated Interrogator for DAS — OFC 2026 Top-Scored Paper

Paper Title: Hybrid Photonic Integrated Interrogator for Distributed Acoustic Sensing

This work presents an innovative hybrid integration scheme combining an InP external-cavity laser and an SOI photonic integrated circuit (PIC), successfully developing an ultra-high integration DAS interrogator. Over a 10 km sensing fiber, the system achieves:

✅Strain resolution: 73.27 pε/√Hz

✅Spatial resolution: ~4 m

✅Module dimensions: only 40 mm × 40 mm × 10 mm

This breakthrough provides a viable path for the engineering implementation of portable, pluggable, and board-level DAS, marking the accelerated evolution of DAS systems from conventional rack-mounted setups to miniaturized, integrated, and embedded solutions, greatly expanding its applications in industry, energy, transportation, and other fields.

Highlights:

The hybrid integration scheme deeply merges high-performance light sources with high-density photonic chips, achieving a leap in both performance and compactness — a key step toward lightweight and practical DAS systems.

Integrated DAS Interrogator.

🌟 Achievement 2: Coded-Pulse-Compression Frequency-Multiplexed DAS — Breaking Fading and SNR Bottlenecks

Paper Title: Coded-Pulse-Compression Frequency-Multiplexed DAS for Fading Suppression and SNR Enhancement

This study introduces coded pulse compression and orthogonal frequency multiplexing technology into the DAS system. Over a 10 km fiber, the system achieves:

✅Interference fading suppression: reduced from ±20 dB to ±5 dB

✅Strain resolution (99% UCL): improved from 84.0 pε/√Hz to 29.8 pε/√Hz

✅No sacrifice in spatial resolution

This scheme effectively solves the critical conflict in conventional linear frequency-modulated pulse-compression DAS: spatial resolution and frequency-diversity fading mitigation compete for bandwidth resources, delivering an overall performance boost.

More importantly, this work verifies that communication payloads (frame headers) can be used as DAS probe signals, opening a new technical route for Integration of Sensing and Communication (ISAC) and providing critical support for the convergence of communications and sensing.

Highlights:

The collaborative design of coded pulse compression and frequency multiplexing significantly improves SNR and suppresses interference fading in DAS, greatly enhancing system stability and reliability, while enabling the reuse of communication signals for sensing.

Principles of CPC-FM-DAS Scheme.

🔗 Deep Industry-University-Research Collaboration, a Promising Future for ISAC

The two landmark achievements at OFC 2026 mark another milestone in the industry-university-research collaboration between AllianStream Photonics and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Relying on SJTU’s profound expertise in fiber optic sensing, photonic integration, and signal processing, combined with AllianStream Photonics’ leading strengths in engineering and industrialization, the two partners continue to break through core technologies including highly integrated DAS, ISAC, and PIC. They are committed to providing domestically independent, world-leading solutions for oil & gas monitoring, smart grid, ocean observation, security early warning, ISAC, and other critical areas.

In the future, AllianStream Photonics will continue to collaborate with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, focusing on photonic integration and fiber optic sensing. Driven by technological innovation, we will empower industrial upgrading and help China maintain global leadership in optical sensing and ISAC.

Innovation never stops, and the future is now.

AllianStream Photonics — journeying with you toward the future of fiber optic sensing!

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