Optical low-coherence reflectometry characterization of cladding modes excited by long-period fiber gratings

The group refractive-index difference of cladding modes excited by a long-period fiber grating is characterized by use of the technique of optical low-coherence reflectometry, with a precision of <10(-4) . Very good agreement between theoretical and experimental results is demonstrated.     

Coupling between counterpropagating cladding modes in fiber Bragg gratings

We present an experimental demonstration of energy transfer between counterpropagating cladding modes in a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). A strong FBG written in a standard photosensitive optical fiber is illuminated with a single cladding mode, and the power transferred between the forward propagating cladding mode and different backward propagating cladding modes is measured by using two auxiliary long period gratings. Resonances between cladding modes having 30 pm bandwidth and 8 dB rejection have been observed.     

Magnetic-force-induced long-period fiber gratings

A novel formation method of a long-period fiber grating (LPFG) based on a magnetic-force-induced microbend is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The LPFG employs a permanent magnet that exerts transversal force to the fiber by attracting a steel coil spring. The transversal force causes periodic microbending to the fiber, and therefore the transmission wave attenuates at the core-to-cladding mode resonance. This device has advantages of ease of fabrication, reconfigurability, and available for any type of fiber.     

基于长周期光纤光栅的FBG解调方法北大核心CSCD

研究了基于长周期光纤光栅(long-period fiber gratings,LPFG)的光纤布拉格光栅(fiber Bragg gratings,FBG)解调方法,该方法利用LPFG的透射谱作为边沿滤波器解调FBG,其解调性能主要取决于LPFG的透射光谱深度。详细分析了CO_(2)激光写制法对透射光谱的影响,制作了透射光谱深度为25 dB的LPFG,并采用该光栅搭建了FBG解调装置,将FBG粘贴于金属应变片表面,测试了其静态与动态响应特征。实验结果表明:该方法制作简单,成本低,具有较好的线性动态范围,可以实现较高灵敏度的FBG解调。     

Synthesis of long-period fiber gratings with a Lagrange multiplier optimization method

Based on the Lagrange multiplier optimization (LMO) method, a new synthesis approach for designing complex long-period fiber grating (LPG) filters is developed and demonstrated. The proposed synthesis method is a simple and direct approach. It was used to efficiently search for optimal solutions and constrain various parameters of the designed LPG filters according to practical requirements. The inverse scattering algorithm is a good tool for designing FBG filters; as well as for designing transmission-type fiber grating filters like LPGs. Compared to the results of the discrete layer-peeling (DLP) inverse scattering algorithm for LPGs, the synthesized LPGs, using the LMO approach, are more flexible and workable for the constraint conditions can be easily set in the user-defined cost functional, such as the limitation on the maximum value of the refractive index modulation and the parameters of the initial guess in LMO algorithm. Linear transmission LPG filters and EDFA gain flattening filters are synthesized and analyzed systematically by using the proposed method with different parameters. Moreover, as a variation-based method, we find that the convergence and the synthesized results of the LMO method are strongly dependent on the initial guess parameters.     

All-optical switching in long-period fiber gratings

Nonlinear pulse propagation in long-period fiber gratings is studied with a mode-locked Q -switched laser pulse approximately 80ps in duration at a wavelength of 1.05 microm . Optical switching, pulse reshaping, and optical limiting are found at intensities in the range of 1-20 GW/cm(2).     

Optical fiber long-period gratings with Langmuir-Blodgett thin-film overlays

An overlay material was deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique onto a single-mode optical fiber containing a long-period grating. The long-period grating exhibits characteristic attenuation bands in its transmission spectrum whose central wavelengths were observed to depend on the optical thickness of the overlay material, even for materials that have a refractive index higher than that of silica.     

Random period arc-induced long-period fiber gratings

We report the fabrication of arc-induced long-period fiber gratings with strong random variations in the period. Long-period fiber gratings with standard deviations in the period from 8.50 to 36.98 μm were fabricated. The spectral position of the resonant bands is determined by the average period value, being similar to that observed in a long-period fiber grating with a fixed period equal to the average period of the random grating. Moreover the notch bands keep the shape characteristics like wideband and depth compared with a long-period grating with a constant period. In addition, their sensitivity to external parameters such as ambient refractive index is not too different with that of fixed period long-period gratings.     

Tunable mechanically induced long-period fiber gratings

We report the experimental characterization of mechanically induced long-period fiber gratings (LPFG's) made by pressing a plate with periodic grooves against a short length of fiber. This filter, which is simple and inexpensive, exhibits transmission spectra and temperature stability similar to those of photoinduced LPFG's. It also offers the unique advantages of being tunable, erasable, and reconfigurable. Its polarization dependence also makes it useful as a polarizer, although it can also be eliminated with simple mechanical designs.     

Designing optimal long-period fiber gratings with the overlapped Gaussian-apodization method for flattening EDFA gain spectra

A new and effective optimization approach to the inverse design problems of complex long-period fiber grating (LPG) filters was developed in the present study. The proposed synthesis method was based on the overlapped Gaussian-apodization method and the evolutionary optimization algorithm which can efficiently search for optimal solutions and simultaneously take into account various experimental requirements for the fabrication of the designed filters. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a LPG filter for flattening EDFA gain spectra was designed. Compared to the existing results from discrete layer-peeling (DLP) inverse scattering algorithms, an LPG filter with adaptive grating lengths and much simpler, smoother, and less complicated coupling coefficient profiles for taking the practical fabrication conditions for gain flattening into account, was used in the proposed method. Simulation results confirm that optimal solutions of an LPG filter design are suitable for practical fabrication.     

Coupling to circularly asymmetric modes via long-period gratings made in a standard straight fiber

We demonstrate long-period fiber gratings made in a straight standard optical fiber via a CO₂ laser side irradiation that couples light between modes of different azimuthal symmetry. We show that such coupling can be even stronger than that to the azimuthally symmetric modes, provided the photoinduced asymmetry in the refractive index change across the fiber cross-section is high enough. This suggests that some previously-observed phenomena with CO₂-written LPGs not observed with other types of LPGs may be attributed to LPG resonances that couple light into the cladding modes with higher azimuthal symmetry. We show it on an example of bend-induced LPG resonance position tuning with the resonance depth maintained constant.     

Dynamics of long-period gratings tuned with internal fiber electrodes

The physics of electrically switched long-period grating in a twin-hole fiber with internal electrodes is studied. Dynamic measurements for the two polarizations show how the grating spectra shift in time due to the mechanical stress and heat transfer in the core and the cladding.     

Simultaneous temperature and bend sensing with long-period fiber gratings

Long-period gratings (LPG's) written in commercially available boron-codoped fibers operating at wavelengths of <1.1mum are shown to exhibit high temperature and bending sensitivities. Each resonant attenuation band of such LPG's was observed to split in two when the LPG's were bent. The split attenuation bands' separation increased significantly with increasing bend curvature, and the central wavelengths of the split bands provided a measure of temperature. We exploit this effect to allow for simultaneous measurement of temperature and bending in smart-structure applications. The demonstrated novel sensor system is simple and low cost.     

长周期光纤光栅傅里叶模式耦合理论

建立了长周期光纤光栅傅里叶模式耦合理论.在分析同向模式耦合时,发现了同向耦合模式的振幅系数间存在傅里叶变换关系.推导了长周期光纤光栅的同向耦合谱和透射谱的通用表达式.该理论是用傅里叶变换分析得出长周期光纤光栅折射率微扰的空域谱,再对该空域谱进行模式同向耦合分析,从而得到长周期光纤光栅光谱特性的通用表达式.根据该理论模拟分析了长周期光纤光栅在不同长度和微扰幅值时的光谱特性,与传统耦合模理论进行了对比分析.结果表明,该长周期光纤光栅傅里叶模式耦合理论具有简单、精确和高效的特点,与实际长周期光纤光栅的透射谱特性一致.应用该理论可分析无过耦合的任意轴向折射率微扰分布的长周期光纤光栅光谱特性.     

Ultrasensitive long-period fiber gratings for broadband modulators and sensors

We demonstrate long-period fiber gratings whose attenuation can be changed by 25 dB over a 48-nm spectral band, with ambient-index changes of only 2.7 x 10(-4). To achieve this, the fiber waveguide is engineered to induce coupling between the core and a highly ambient-sensitive cladding mode with identical group velocities. The device schematic allows arbitrarily high index sensitivities to be achieved, which makes it an attractive platform for realizing sensors and modulators that respond to small index changes.     

Bending sensitivity of in-series long-period fiber gratings

The interference fringes formed in a long-period fiber grating pair are sensitive to the loss in the cladding mode, which can be induced by bending or by coating on the fiber. Assuming that there is no loss and that both gratings are identical, the interference fringes are shown to have 100% contrast when each grating has 50% transmissivity. By contrast, if the cladding mode is absorbed or scattered the fringe contrast is shown to be degraded. The spectral behaviors of a long-period fiber grating pair with loss is analyzed by the coupled-mode theory and is compared with experimental results.     

Optical-fiber-to-waveguide coupling using carbon-dioxide-laser-induced long-period fiber gratings

Optical fibers are expected to play a role in chip-level and board-level optical interconnects because of limitations on the bandwidth and level of integration of electrical interconnects. Therefore, methods are needed to couple optical fibers directly to waveguides on chips and on boards. We demonstrate optical-fiber-to-waveguide coupling using carbon-dioxide laser-induced long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs). Such gratings can be written in standard fiber and offer wavelength multiplexing-demultiplexing performance. The coupler fabrication process and the characterization apparatus are presented. The operation and the wavelength response of a LPFG-based optical-fiber-to-waveguide directional coupler are demonstrated.     

Dual-channel microfluidic sensor based on side-hole fiber with two long-period fiber gratings

We propose and demonstrate a dual-channel microfluidic sensor based on a side-hole fiber(SHF)with two longperiod fiber grating(LPFG)structures.There are two air holes in the SHF,which are natural microfluidic channels.We fabricate two LPFGs(long-period gratings LPG-A and LPG-B)in the SHF with the resonance wavelengths of 1268.7 nm and 1385.8 nm,respectively.Results show that the refractive index sensitivities of LPG-A and LPG-B are?76.0 nm/RIU and?71.1 nm/RIU,respectively.One can measure the refractive index of liquid samples in two channels simultaneously.The proposed dual-channel microfluidic sensor has advantages of good linearity response,fluidic technology compatibility,and easy light input/output coupling and system integration,which helps the sensor to have a potential application in environmental detection and food safety detection.     

Mechanically induced long-period fiber gratings on tapered fibers

The characteristics of a mechanically induced long-period fiber grating (MLPFG) made by pressing a pair of grooved plates over single-mode fiber tapers are analyzed. Fiber tapers with a waist length of 80 mm and diameter ranging from 90 to 125 μm, fabricated using the heating and puling method, were used. We observed that the resonance wavelengths shift toward shorter wavelengths as the fiber taper waist diameter is reduced. A maximum shift of 254 nm in the position of the resonance peaks was observed when the fiber diameter was reduced to 90 μm. This technique is particularly suitable for tuning the resonance wavelengths to shorter wavelengths below the limit imposed by the grooved plate period.     

Twist characteristics of the ultraviolet-written long-period fiber gratings

Twist characteristics of the ultraviolet-written long period fiber gratings (UV-LPFGs) are investigated in this paper. It was found experimentally that the resonance wavelength of the UV-LPFG shifts to short side proportional to square of the torsion rate, when it is twisted in both directions of clockwise and counter-clockwise, which is different from that of LPFGs written by CO2 lasers, but similar with that of the corrugated LPFGs. The phenomena can be explained by mechanisms of static compression in twisting and index change caused by photo-elastic effect.