COMPRESSION-TUNED BRAGG GRATING-BASED LASER

摘要

A compression-tuned bragg grating-based laser includes a tunable optical element 20,600 which includes either an optical fiber 10 having at least one Bragg grating 12 impressed therein encased within and fused to at least a portion of a glass capillary tube 20 or a large diameter waveguide grating 600 having a core and a wide cladding. Light 14 is incident on the grating 12 and light 16 is reflected at a reflection wavelength μ1. The tunable element 20,600 is axially compressed which causes a shift in the reflection wavelength of the grating 12 without buckling the element. The shape of the element may be other geometries (e.g., a'dogbone' shape) and(or more than one grating or pair of gratings may be used and more than one fiber 10 or core 612 may be used. At least a portion of the element may be doped between a pair of gratings 150,152, to form a compression-tuned laser or the grating 12 or gratings 150,152 may be constructed as a tunable DFB laser. Also, the element 20 may have an inner tapered region 22 or tapered (or fluted) sections 27. The compression may be done by a PZT, stepper motor, hydraulic device or other actuator.