A comparison of the spectral properties of high temperature annealed long-period gratings inscribed by fs laser, UV, and fusion-arc

Abstract

Long period gratings have been inscribed in standard single mode fibre using a fs laser system, a fusion arc and a UV laser and a comparative study carried out of their thermal behaviour. The fs laser induced gratings can survive temperatures in excess of 800 °C, however the inscription process can induce considerable birefringence within the device. Annealing studies have been carried out showing that below 600 °C, all three grating types show a blue shift in their room temperature resonance wavelengths following cyclic heating, while above 600 °C, the UV and arc induced LPGs exhibit a red shift, with the fs LPG showing an even stronger blue shift. High temperature annealing is also shown to considerably reduce the birefringence induced by the fs inscription process.