Doped core microstructured fibers for Bragg grating sensor applications

Abstract

The combination of a microstructured fiber (MSF) with fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is an architecture which joins two interesting ideas. On the one hand we have the Bragg grating, a device which has been thoroughly studied and successfully employed in numerous applications. On the other hand the photonic crystal fiber with its many, recently discovered possibilities. To a rather big extent we can consider such components as three dimensional photonic crystal structures. However, the exploitation of FBGs may require the use of MSFs with a doped core. An investigation of light propagation in a doped core MSF is presented. The conditions for the co-existence of two competing light guiding mechanisms (material and geometrical) and their consequences on the modes propagation are discussed. © 2009 Photonics Society of Poland.