Conventional UV-inscribed fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) start to lose their reflectivity (‘bleach’) at temperatures above 200°C [1]; at 380°C, they bleach completely. Using a focused fs IR-laser it is possible to generate extremely stable gratings in any optically transparent materials, independently from the fiber material and doping. These type II gratings are known to be reflective at temperatures up to 1000°C [2]. UV-inscribed FBGs require stripping and re-coating of the polymeric coating due to the high absorption of UV light by the typical coating materials. This can allow moisture to be trapped, which weakens the glass. Femtosecond FBGs can be written through many different coatings, including polyimide, which retains its integrity at temperatures up to 300°C. In order to take full advantage of the capabilities of a Femtosecond FBG, it would be beneficial to have a coating that can withstand higher temperatures. Metal-coated fibers are capable of withstanding temperatures up to 500°C and beyond – but Femtosecond lasers are unable to write gratings through the metal coating. In this paper we will demonstrate the first gold-coated Femtosecond FBGs and their performance as a highly sensitive temperature sensor up to 500°C. The spectra of the FBGs are to be compared before and after the gold coating is applied to show that the coating does not have an impact on FBG performance. Data will be presented comparing FBG measured temperature to that measured by high-sensitivity thermocouple.
|