Open AccessBirefringence switching of Bragg gratings in fibers with internal electrodes
Author(s) -
Yu Zhao,
Oleksandr Tarasenko,
Walter Margulis,
P.Y. Fonjallaz
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.16.008229
Subject(s) - materials science , fiber bragg grating , birefringence , optics , nanosecond , microsecond , electrode , wavelength , core (optical fiber) , long period fiber grating , fiber , optical fiber , optoelectronics , graded index fiber , fiber optic sensor , laser , physics , composite material , quantum mechanics
A fiber Bragg grating was written in a side-hole fiber with internal metal alloy electrodes. The initial geometrical birefringence of this fiber gives rise to two Bragg resonances separated by 43 pm. Nanosecond risetime current pulses of up to 23 A were applied to the metal electrode, which heated and expanded rapidly. This caused mechanical stress in the fiber on a nanosecond scale, resulting in a negative shift of the Bragg wavelength peak for the fast axis mode, and positive but smaller shift for the slow axis mode. The fast change increased the peak separation to approximately 143 pm, corresponding to an increase in birefringence from 4.0 x 10(-5) to 1.3 x 10(-4). Both peaks subsequently experienced a red-shift due to the relaxation of mechanical stress and the increasing core temperature transferred from the metal in many microseconds. Simulations give accurate description of the experimental results.