Polymer Optical Fiber Bragg Gratings: Fabrication and Sensing Applications

Polymer optical fibers (POFs) have been regarded as a viable alternative to silica fibers in a variety of sensing applications. Fiber optic sensors offer key advantages over other sensing technologies, which include immunity to electromagnetic interference, compact, lightweight, multiplexing capability, and higher sensitivity. This book gives an overview of the polymer optical fiber Bragg grating (POFBG) technology over the last 20 years, covering aspects related to the fiber Bragg grating fabrication and also sensing applications. The book is split into five chapters, and it is written in such a way that can provide a comprehensive and simple route to new users, scientists and engineers working or wishing to work in the field of POFBGs:

• Describes the systems commonly employed for producing fiber Braggs gratings (FBGs) in silica fibers that can be used for the production of POFBGs;
• Explores different laser sources for the inscription of POFBGs;
• Explores the capability of using this technology at the visible and infrared region, in different fiber types (e.g., step-index, microstructured, unclad, highly birefringent) and in fibers composed of different polymer materials such as PMMA, doped PMMA, PS and ZEONEX;
• Reports the fabrication of different types of POF gratings, such as uniform, phase-shifted, tilted, chirped, and long-period gratings;
• Shows the opportunities of POFBGs for a variety of sensing applications.

The insight to the use of POFBGs provides a vision for the opportunities of this fiber optic technology.

Ricardo Oliveira received the Ph.D. degree in Physics Engineering from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, in 2017. He is now a Researcher at Instituto de Telecomunicações, Aveiro, Portugal. Ricardo has been working in several research projects involving fiber optic devices and components. His main interests include optical fiber devices and components for communications and sensors using polymer optical fibers, fiber Bragg gratings and fiber optic interferometers.

Lúcia Bilro is presently a researcher at Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT) in Aveiro-Portugal. She is a co-founder and CTO of Watgrid, Lda and board member of the Portuguese Society of Optics and Photonics (SPOF). Prior she was a Post-doc research fellow at IT and Invited Professor at Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo. She received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Aveiro in 2011. Her currently research interests are Bragg sensors, plastic optical fiber sensors, physics, medicine, rehabilitation and environmental monitoring.

Rogério Nogueira is Principal Research Scientist at Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT) in Aveiro-Portugal, where he coordinates the group Optical Components and Sub-systems. He is a co-founder and CEO of Watgrid, Lda. Prior he was an Invited Professor at University of Aveiro and Innovation Manager for both Coriant and Nokia Siemens Networks Portuguese branches. Dr. Nogueira is co-founder and vice-president of the Portuguese Optical Society. He received the Ph.D. degree from the Aveiro University in 2005 and an Executive Certificate on Management and Leadership from MIT in 2011. His currently research interests are Optical Communications, Fiber optical components, Fiber sensors and microwave photonics.