title: Fabrication of self-apodized short-length fiber Bragg gratings.
abstract: A new technique for writing extremely short-length Bragg gratings in optical fibers is demonstrated. A physical model describes the diffraction effects on the spatial and wavelength spectra of the Bragg gratings. Selection of appropriate diffraction patterns and related parameters permits self-apodized Bragg gratings with a typical spatial length of several hundred micrometers and a bandwidth of several nanometers to be obtained. These gratings with well-defined spectra are suitable for use as miniature distributed strain sensors and other applications requiring small physical dimensions and broadband spectra.
authors.affiliation: NASA Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 231, Hampton, Virginia 23681-2199, USA. m.c.wu@larc.nasa.gov
authors.forename: Meng-Chou
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rogowski