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- Photonics
29 Jun 2026
Enhancing Asset Security with Advanced Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing Solutions
Exail has been a key partner to EOSS (formerly Omnisens), providing high-quality electro-optic modulators and Fiber Bragg Grating (FBGs) for nearly two decades. With Exail’s solutions, EOSS has advanced the reliability and performance of its Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) systems, enabling industries to bolster asset security and detect threats more rapidly.
EOSS: A Leader in High-Performance Fiber Optic Monitoring
Distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) systems help protect critical infrastructure, including pipelines, subsea cables, and power grids. These systems enable organizations to detect emerging threats and mitigate risks in real time, safeguarding assets, people, and operations.
DFOS technology emerged in the early 2000s, evolving from Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) technology used to measure losses in telecommunication fiber networks. Founded in 2000 as a spin-off of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Omnisens quickly became a pioneer in DFOS, developing the DI-TEST — a Distributed Temperature and Strain Sensing technology.
Today, EOSS (Electronic and Optical Sensing Solutions), born from the 2021 acquisition of Omnisens by Prysmian and its merger with Prysmian Electronics, remains at the forefront of fiber optic monitoring.
Image EOSS-Omnisens
Advancing distributed fiber sensing, from temperature and strain to acoustic monitoring
EOSS-Omnisens has evolved its technology from initial temperature sensing (DTS) and distributed strain sensing (DSS) using Brillouin “inelastic” scattering and then Raman scattering, to the development of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) based on Rayleigh “elastic” scattering. Each technique offers distinct advantages depending on the application:
- Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) provides real-time temperature measurements for industries like pipeline monitoring (leak detection) and electrical cable monitoring;
- Distributed Strain Sensing (DSS) enables strain measurements for civil engineering applications, such as monitoring of large infrastructures (bridges, dam) or ground movement;
- Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) Rayleigh scattering to detect external vibrations and disturbances, offering significant advantages for applications like intrusion detection and underwater monitoring.
"While DTS is now considered a mature technology for asset monitoring, DAS is still in a highly innovative phase, with a growing number of potential use cases. Initially, the first generation of DAS systems, known as 'qualitative DAS,' could only measure scattered light intensity. Now, with the new 'quantitative DAS' generation, we can also measure the phase of scattered light, enabling us to detect external perturbations, including third-party intrusions."
Typical Distributed Fiber sensing rely on backscattering analysis
The Critical Role of Electro-Optic Modulators in Distributed fiber optic sensing
At the heart of all EOSS’s DFOS systems lies a laser source that is modulated and transmitted through an optical fiber. The scattered light is then analyzed via a photodiode, converting the optical signal into a digital format for further processing.
Electro-optic modulators (EOMs) are integral to DFOS architectures, where they help to control the laser sources that drive the sensors. In EOSS’s systems, modulators are used to generate temporal intensity or frequency variations in the light pulses that travel through the optical fibers, allowing precise location-based measurements.
“These modulators are key to our ability to measure the Brillouin scattering with high precision, using an optical spectrum at 10 GHz. The ability to precisely scan the spectrum in MHz steps is crucial for obtaining accurate measurements of temperature or strain variations. In particular, Exail MXER “Carrier Suppressed Double Sideband (CS-DSB)” products are used in our flagship product DITEST (DTS + DSS) that relies on the Brillouin Optical Time Domaine Analysis (BOTDA technique). They are used to create two stable sidebands, which are used to measure the Brillouin scattering.”
Exail’s unique ability to produce modulators with an extinction ratio greater than 40 dB was instrumental in the development of EOSS's first DFOS sensors.
"We could not have manufactured our first series of sensors without guaranteeing this level of performance. Exail was the only supplier capable of meeting this stringent requirement in larger quantities, and their expertise has been essential as our systems evolved to address both DSS and DAS applications."
Exail FBGs are used in some systems developed by EOSS-Omnisens as optical filters.
DFOS systems manufactured by Omnisens-EOSS are generally hosted in generic 19’’ racks in control rooms. They operate 24h/24 for permanent monitoring applications.
The Growing Importance of Distributed Acoustic Sensing in the Current Geopolitical Context
The increasing interest in DAS technology is closely linked to current global security concerns. DAS’s ability to detect external threats, such as third-party intrusions along pipelines or near critical infrastructure, makes it an invaluable tool for protecting sovereign assets.
As geopolitical tensions rise, the demand for reliable monitoring systems that can provide real-time alerts to potential sabotage or unauthorized activities is expected to grow significantly. DAS technology has emerged as a leading solution to address these needs, providing a cost-effective and scalable solution to safeguard critical infrastructure in increasingly vulnerable environments.
Reliable electro-optic modulators and Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) are crucial for the continued development and optimization of DAS systems, ensuring high sensitivity, accuracy, and long-term stability in detecting external threats and protecting critical infrastructure.
