An optical fiber having a Bragg grating along a non-photosensitized grating region thereof and a pristine polymer coating around the grating region with the Bragg grating having been written through the polymer coating has a mechanical resistance that is greater than 20% of the mechanical resistance of an identical grating-free optical fiber.

A manufacturing device of an optical fiber grating to write a grating in a core of an optical fiber by irradiating the optical fiber with laser light includes: a fixing device that fixes the optical fiber to at least one of a first position located more on an upstream side and a second position located more on a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the optical fiber than a laser light irradiating position of the optical fiber in a case of writing the grating; and a feeder having a structure capable of linearly reciprocating in the conveyance direction and adapted to feed a predetermined length of the optical fiber in the conveyance direction in a case where a fixed state of the optical fiber by the fixing device is released.

Disclosed herein is an optical fiber having an optically uniform coating having no physical defects in the coating greater than 100 micrometers in size over a length of 50 meters or greater.

Methods and systems for writing a Bragg grating along a grating region of an optical fiber through a polymer coating of the optical fiber are provided. A light beam of ultrafast optical pulses is impinged on the grating region, the ultrafast optical pulses being characterized by writing wavelength at the grating region to which the polymer coating is substantially transparent The light beam is diffracted through a phase mask so as to form an interference pattern defining the Bragg grating at the grating region of the optical fiber. The light beam is also focussed such that the intensity of the optical pulses is below a damage threshold within the polymer coating, and above an FBG inscription threshold within the grating region of the fiber. Optical fiber having Bragg gratings and improved mechanical are also provided.

There is provided an alignment system and method for use in an ultrashort pulse duration laser-based Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) writing system, the alignment system comprising: clamps configured to hold a coated optical fiber in a position perpendicular to a beam path of an ultrashort pulse duration laser-based FBG writing station; an optical detector; and a control system with an input from the optical detector and an output to adjust parameters of an optical source and the FBG writing station adjust a distance between the optical fiber and an optical source of the writing station based on luminescence generated in a core of the optical fiber as indicated in a signal received at the input from the optical detector.

A technique is described for fabricating one or more optical devices in a carbon-coated optical fiber. A photosensitive optical fiber is provided having a hermetic carbon coating. Further provided is a laser having a beam output that is configured to inscribe one or more refractive index modulations into the optical fiber through the hermetic carbon layer while leaving the hermetic carbon layer intact. The laser is used to inscribe one or more optical devices into the optical fiber through the hermetic carbon layer.

A method and a system for providing a low absorption Bragg grating along a grating region of an optical fiber are presented. The Bragg grating is written along the grating region by multiphoton absorption of ultrafast light pulses impinged on this grating region through a polymer coating of the optical fiber. The Bragg grating is then photobleached by propagating a photobleaching light beam along the optical fiber. The photobleaching light beam has optical parameters selected to reduce defects in the grating region induced by the writing of the Bragg grating in a substantially non-thermal regime.

Methods and systems for writing a Bragg grating along a grating region of an optical fiber through a polymer coating of the optical fiber are provided. A light beam of ultrafast optical pulses is impinged on the grating region, the ultrafast optical pulses being characterised by writing wavelength at the grating region to which the polymer coating is substantially transparent The light beam is diffracted through a phase mask so as to form an interference pattern defining the Bragg grating at the grating region of the optical fiber. The light beam is also focussed such that the intensity of the optical pulses is below a damage threshold within the polymer coating, and above an FBG inscription threshold within the grating region of the fiber. Optical fiber having Bragg gratings and improved mechanical are also provided.

An optical fiber having at least two polymer coatings, the optical fiber comprising: an optical fiber comprising a glass optical core and a glass cladding; a first polymer coating comprising a silicone polymer covering the optical fiber; and a second polymer coating covering the first polymer coating is provided.

In various embodiments, an optical fiber includes a core having a relatively large area selected so as to raise a threshold of stimulated Raman scattering or stimulated Brillouin scattering, or both, the core having a high aspect ratio elongated cross-section and having a first refractive index. The core is narrower in a fast-axis direction and wider in a slow-axis direction, such that the fiber is mechanically flexible in the fast-axis direction and is mechanically rigid in the slow-axis direction.