Fiber Gratings

Publisher Summary Silica fibers can change their optical properties permanently when they are exposed to intense radiation from a laser operating in the blue or ultraviolet spectra region. Fiber gratings can be designed to operate over a wide range of wavelengths extending from the ultraviolet to the infrared region. Diffraction gratings constitute a standard optical component and are used routinely in various optical instruments such as a spectrometer. There is considerable evidence that photosensitivity of optical fibers is due to defect formation inside the core of Ge-doped silica fibers. Using several different techniques can make fiber gratings. There are four major techniques commonly used for making fiber gratings: the single-beam internal technique, the dual-beam holographic technique, the phase mask technique, and the point-by-point fabrication technique. The field of photonic-crystal fibers is in its infancy and is likely to evolve in the near future.