Development of a Bragg grating fabrication facility and demonstration of its capabilities in fibre based telecommunication, laser, and sensor applications

A Bragg grating fabrication facility is developed. The facility consists of a modified krypton fluoride (KrF) excimer laser, an adjustable interferometer, and a hydrogen loading system. A KrF excimer laser has been modified to produce a narrow linewidth output beam. The adjustability of the interferometer allows for the fabrication of Bragg gratings of any centre wavelength. Photosensitivity enhancement by the hydrogen loading system permits Bragg grating inscription in a variety of germanium-doped optical fibres including standard telecommunication fibres. The performance of the Bragg grating fabrication facility is characterized and evaluated. The capabilities and flexibilty of the facility is demonstrated by the development of a unique all Bragg grating fibre laser sensor and the first reported superimposed multiple Bragg grating fibre device that is ideally suited for multiplexing and demultiplexing signals.