Tunable fiber bragg gratings
First Claim
1. A fiber grating tuning device which comprises:
- (a) a substrate having a longitudinal axis, (b) an optical fiber having a fiber grating therein which is longitudinally mounted upon or embedded within the substrate such that the fiber axis is offset from the plane of the longitudinal axis of the substrate; and
(c) an actuator for application of force to the substrate to bend the substrate perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the direction the fiber axis is offset from the longitudinal axis of the substrate.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to devices and methods for tuning a fiber grating. A fiber containing a fiber grating is uniformly, precisely and reproducibly bent by first embedding the fiber in a substrate or mounting the fiber on a substrate parallel to the longitudinal (long) axis of the substrate and applying appropriate force to bend the substrate perpendicular to the length of the fiber, i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the substrate. Embedding of the fiber carrying the fiber grating parallel to, but offset from the plane containing the central axis which is normal to the bend of the substrate allows bending of the substrate along that central axis of the substrate to achieve enhanced fiber compression or stretching. The fiber grating is tuned preferably by application of force to the substrate to bend the substrate such that the radius of the bend uniformly increases or decreases at least along the length of the fiber grating in the substrate. In specific embodiments the substrate of this invention is bent by changing the diameter of a cylinder, loop or ring to which the substrate is directly or indirectly attached.
35 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A fiber grating tuning device which comprises:
-
(a) a substrate having a longitudinal axis, (b) an optical fiber having a fiber grating therein which is longitudinally mounted upon or embedded within the substrate such that the fiber axis is offset from the plane of the longitudinal axis of the substrate; and
(c) an actuator for application of force to the substrate to bend the substrate perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the direction the fiber axis is offset from the longitudinal axis of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
16. A method for tuning a fiber grating which comprises the steps of:
-
(a) longitudinally mounting a fiber carrying a fiber grating on a substrate or longitudinally embedding a fiber carrying a fiber grating within a substrate such that the fiber axis is offset from the longitudinal axis of the substrate; and
(b) bending the substrate perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the direction that the fiber axis is offset from the longitudinal axis of the substrate.
-
Specification