Abstract: A method and apparatus for inscribing a Bragg grating in an optical waveguide, comprising: providing electromagnetic radiation from an ultrashort pulse duration laser, wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a pulse duration of less than or equal to 5 picoseconds, and wherein the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation has a characteristic wavelength in the wavelength range from 150 nanometers (nm) to 2.0 microns (µm); providing cylindrical focusing optics corrected for spherical aberration; providing a diffractive optical element that when exposed to the focused ultrashort laser pulse, creates an interference pattern on the optical waveguide, wherein the irradiation step comprises irradiating a surface of the diffractive optical element with the focused electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation incident on the optical waveguide, from the diffractive optical element, being sufficiently intense to cause the permanent change in the index of refraction in the core of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.