Fiber Bragg gratings inscribed using 800nm femtosecond laser and a phase mask in single- And multi-core mid-IR glass fibers

For the first time, Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) structures have been inscribed in single-core passive germanate and three-core passive and active tellurite glass fibers using 800nm femtosecond (fs) laser and phase mask technique. With fs peak power intensity in the order of 10¹¹W/cm ², the FBG spectra with 2^nd and 3^rd order resonances at 1540 and 1033nm in the germanate glass fiber and 2^nd order resonances at ~ 1694 and ~ 1677nm with strengths up to 14dB in all three cores in the tellurite fiber were observed. Thermal responsivities of the FBGs made in these mid-IR glass fibers were characterized, showing average temperature responsivity ~ 20pm/°C. Strain responsivities of the FBGs in germanate glass fiber were measured to be 1.219pm/µe. © 2009 Optical Society of America.