Fabrication of tapered, strain-gradent chirped fibreBragg gratings

Abstract

Chirped fibre Bragg gratings have been fabricated using a novel process in which the outer diameter of the fibre is tapered with a computer-controlled acid etching process. The strain gradient formed along the grating when the fibre is held under tension produces a varying shift in the Bragg spacing, resulting in a tunable, chirped grating.