Long-period fiber gratings based on periodic microbends

We demonstrate a new type of high-performance long-period fiber grating based on arc-induced periodic microbends. The fabrication method is simple and does not require special fibers. Flexibility in controlling the filter parameters makes it possible to produce arbitrary filter profiles by use of a simple apodization technique, which is difficult to do with conventional long-period gratings.     

Design of terahertz-bandwidth arbitrary-order temporal differentiators based on long-period fiber gratings

We show that long-period fiber grating (LPG) incorporating N-1pi-phase shifts can serve as an Nth order temporal differentiator that operates in transmission. Due to the inherent large bandwidth provided by LPGs, subpicosecond (terahertz-bandwidth) optical signals may be processed with centimeters-length devices. Design parameters for up to fifth-order differentiators are given.     

Long-period fiber gratings with variable coupling for real-time sensing applications

We demonstrate a long-period grating whose resonance varies in strength but remains fixed in wavelength with either temperature or strain. Using this fiber-grating sensor, we resolved a change of 1 muepsilon of strain or 0.04 degrees C in temperature. Such sensors require no spectrometer or other frequency-selective components and can operate in real time.     

Relative humidity sensor with optical fiber Bragg gratings

A novel concept for an intrinsic relative humidity (RH) sensor that uses polyimide-recoated fiber Bragg gratings is presented. Tests in a controlled environment indicate that the sensor has a linear, reversible, and accurate response behavior at 10-90% RH and at 13-60 degrees C. The RH and temperature sensitivities were measured as a function of coating thickness, and the thermal and hygroscopic expansion coefficients of the polyimide coating were determined.     

Phase-shifted Bragg microstructured optical fiber gratings utilizing infiltrated ferrofluids

Results are presented on the efficient spectral manipulation of uniform and chirped Bragg reflectors inscribed in microstructured optical fibers utilizing short lengths of ferrofluids infiltrated in their capillaries. The infiltrated ferrofluidic defects can generate either parasitic reflection notch features in uniform Bragg reflectors of up to 80% visibility and ~0.1 nm spectral shift or tunability of the bandwidth and strength reflection up to 100% when introduced into chirped gratings. Spectra are presented for different spatial positions and optical characteristics of the ferrofluidic section.     

Electrically tunable Bragg gratings in single-mode polymer optical fiber

We present what is to our knowledge the first demonstration of a tunable fiber Bragg grating device in polymer optical fiber that utilizes a thin-film resistive heater deposited on the surface of the fiber. The polymer fiber was coated via photochemical deposition of a Pd/Cu metallic layer with a procedure induced by vacuum-ultraviolet radiation at room temperature. The resulting device, when wavelength tuned via joule heating, underwent a wavelength shift of 2 nm for a moderate input power of 160 mW, a wavelength to input power coefficient of -13.4 pm/mW, and a time constant of 1.7 s(-1).     

Long-period fiber gratings fabricated with a CO2 laser beam and phase mask

A new holographic technique is proposed for fabricating long-period fiber gratings (LPGs) using a CO₂-laser and a phase mask. A CO₂ laser operating at 10.6 μm is incident normally on the phase mask and the diffracted interfering beams imprint a thermally induced periodic modulation into the cladding of the fiber placed behind the mask. Preliminary results of this technique are presented and discussed. An unusual self-tapered fiber LPG (STFLPG) is also presented.     

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of carbon nanotube-coated single-mode optical fiber gratings

Single-wall carbon nanotube deposition on the cladding of optical fibers has been carried out to fabricate an all-fiber nonlinear device. Two different nanotube deposition techniques were studied. The first consisted of repeatedly immersing the optical fiber into a nanotube supension, increasing the thickness of the coating in each step. The second deposition involved wrapping a thin film of nanotubes around the optical fiber. For both cases, interaction of transmitted light through the fiber core with the external coating was assisted by the cladding mode resonances of a tilted fiber Bragg grating. Ultrafast nonlinear effects of the nanotube-coated fiber were measured by means of a pump-probe pulses experiment.     

Characterization of Fourier components in type I infrared ultrafast laser induced fiber Bragg gratings

Type I infrared ultrafast laser induced fiber Bragg gratings have been shown to exhibit higher-order resonances related to the Fourier components possessed by their nonsinusoidal index change profile. Using successive higher-order phase masks, we determine the Fourier components of type I-IR gratings in both hydrogen-loaded and unloaded fiber. Knowledge of the relative dc and ac components of a fiber Bragg grating is required for tailoring its spectral response.     

On the possible use of optical fiber Bragg gratings as strain sensors for geodynamical monitoring

Optical fiber sensors can be used to measure many different parameters including strain, temperature, pressure, displacement, electrical field, refractive index, rotation, position and vibrations. Among a variety of fiber sensors, fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) have numerous advantages over other optical fiber sensors. One of the major advantages of this type of sensors is attributed to wavelength-encoded information given by the Bragg grating. Since the wavelength is an absolute parameter, signal from FBG may be processed such that its information remains immune to power fluctuations along the optical path. This inherent characteristic makes the FBG sensors very attractive for application in harsh environments, “smart structures” and on-site measurements.This paper reviews the achievements about the FBG as a strain and temperature sensor and describes the potential applications of FBG sensors for applications in the field of geophysics and its expected development in the near future. The applications could include: rock deformation, fiber-optic geophone, optical based seismograph, vertical seismic profiling and structural monitoring of civil structures. Different techniques to detect strains and various applications will be reviewed and discussed. The problem of temperature–strain cross sensitivity, that is particularly difficult to eliminate, is addressed and approaches to overcome it are discussed.     

Bending insensitivity of fiber Bragg gratings in suspended-core optical fibers

This Letter presents simulation and experimental results that explore bending insensitivity of fiber Bragg gratings in suspended-core optical fibers. The implementation of thin silica bridge in the fibers enhances index contrast of the fiber core and reduces bending-induced strain transfer to the fiber core. This fiber design lead to a reduction of over 7 times in strain-induced fiber Bragg grating resonant peak shifts in the suspended-core fiber compared with that in standard telecommunication fiber, and an 0.14 dB bending loss at a bending radius of 6.35 mm.     

Hollow and filled fiber bragg gratings in nano-bore optical fibers

To combine the technical functions and advantages of solid-core fiber Bragg gratings(FBGs) and hollow-core optical fibers(HCFs), the hollow and filled FBGs in nano-bore optical fibers(NBFs) with nano-bore in the GeO_2-doped core are proposed.The fundamental mode field, effective mode index, and confinement loss of NBF with 50 nm–7 μm-diameter hollow and filled nano-bore are numerically investigated by the finite element method.The reflected spectra of FBGs in NBFs are obtained by the transmission matrix method.The hollow FBGs in NBFs can be acheived with ～5% power fraction in the bore and the ～0.9 reflectivity when bore diameter is less than 3 μm.The filled FBGs can be realized with～1% power fraction and 0.98 reflectivity with different fillings including o-xylene, trichloroethylene, and chloroform for 800-nm bore diameter.The feasibility of the index sensing by our proposed NBF FBG is also analyzed and discussed.The experimental fabrication of hollow and filled FBGs are discussed and can be achieved by current techniques.The aim of this work is to establish a principle prototype for investigating the HCFs and solid-core FBGs-based fiber-optic platforms,which are useful for applications such as the simultaneous chemical and physical sensing at the same position.     

Annealing properties of gratings written into UV-presensitized hydrogen-outdiffused optical fiber

Accelerated aging of gratings written in UV presensitized hydrogen outdiffused optical fibers show that these gratings are more stable than standard gratings written in hydrogen-loaded fibers. They are observed to grow initially by as much as 2%. The predicted decay after 25 years at 80 degrees C is ~0.1% . The results suggest that the index modulation decay is so slow that postfabrication annealing can be avoided.     

Two-axis bend measurement with Bragg gratings in multicore optical fiber

We describe what is to our knowledge the first use of fiber Bragg gratings written into three separate cores of a multicore fiber for two-axis curvature measurement. The gratings act as independent, but isothermal, fiber strain gauges for which local curvature determines the difference in strain between cores, permitting temperature-independent bend measurement.     

Fractional optical Hilbert transform using phase shifted fiber Bragg gratings

In this paper, we demonstrate that an arbitrary order (including both integer and fractional orders) Hilbert transform (HT) of an input optical waveform can be implemented by a simple and practical phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PSFBG) operated in reflection mode. The PSFBG consists of two concatenated identical uniform FBGs with a proper phase shift between them. It is proved that both the phase shift of the FBGs and the apodizing profile of the refractive index modulation determine the order of the transform. The simulation results show that the device can perform arbitrary fractional Hilbert transform (FHT) with excellent accuracy for input signals with up to hundreds of GHz bandwidth using feasible FBG structures.     

Ultrahigh-temperature regenerated gratings in boron-codoped germanosilicate optical fiber using 193 nm

Regenerated gratings seeded by type I gratings in boron-codoped germanosilicate optical fiber written with 193 nm are shown to withstand temperatures beyond 1000 degrees C.     

Fabrication of long-period optical fiber gratings by use of ion implantation

We report the fabrication of long-period optical fiber gratings by use of a refractive-index increase induced by ion implantation. Helium ions were implanted in an optical fiber core through a metal mask that had a 170-microm -pitch grating with spacing of 60 microm . We obtained a wavelength-dependent effective transmission loss by use of the grating.     

Voltage-controllable wavelength-selective optical switching based on multiply cascaded long-period fiber gratings

A novel wavelength-selective optical switching device based on multiply cascaded long-period fiber gratings is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The on and off states of each channel in the optical switching device can be effectively switched by voltage-controllable coil heaters. The device has advantages of multichannel operation, multiwavelength selectivity, and bandwidth controllability. It can be useful for applications in multiwavelength operational signal gating, optical switching devices, routers, and multiplexers in optical communication systems.     

High-temperature-resistant chemical composition Bragg gratings in Er3+-doped optical fiber

Chemical composition gratings (CCGs), unlike standard fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), do not suffer a significant decrease in reflectance or an irreversible wavelength shift when they are exposed to elevated temperatures. To date, the growth of CCGs has been related to the fluorine content of the fibers in which they are written. It is shown that FBGs with high thermal stability, resembling CCGs, can be fabricated in Er3+-doped optical fibers that do not contain any fluorine.