Point-by-point fabrication and characterization of sapphire fiber Bragg gratings.

The Letter reports the inscription of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in a single-crystal sapphire optical fiber via a point-by-point method by 780 nm infrared-femtosecond laser pulses. Compared to phase mask exposure, the use of the point-by-point method for the inscription provides a flexible way to fabricate sapphire FBGs and to make wavelength division multiplexing in sapphire fiber more practicable. The multiplexing of three cascade gratings is demonstrated, and their performance up to 1400°C is tested. The permanent enhancement of reflectivity by a factor of about 5 after heat treatment and the nearly linear temperature response with a slope of 25.8 pm/°C are demonstrated.