The role of the optical filamentation of ultra-short infrared pulses at 800nm in the inscription of highly reflective and low loss fundamental order fiber Bragg gratings is investigated. The onset of the filamentation process is first evidenced through the observation of the spectra of both supercontinuum generation and plasma emission as well as through the precise measurement of the plasma-induced refractive index change. Typical samples of FBG obtained with this approach are presented.

© 2011 OSA

1. G. Meltz, W. W. Morey, and W. H. Glenn, “Formation of Bragg gratings in optical fibers by a transverse holographic method,” Opt. Lett. 14(15), 823–825 (1989). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. K. O. Hill, B. Malo, F. Bilodeau, D. C. Johnson, and J. Albert, “Bragg gratings fabricated in monomode photosensitive optical fiber by UV exposure through a phase mask,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 62(10), 1035–1037 (1993). [CrossRef]
3. K. M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett. 21(21), 1729–1731 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. L. Sudrie, M. Franco, B. Prade, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Study of damage in fused silica induced by ultra-short IR laser pulses,” Opt. Commun. 191(3-6), 333–339 (2001). [CrossRef]
5. Y. Kondo, K. Nouchi, T. Mitsuyu, M. Watanabe, P. G. Kazansky, and K. Hirao, “Fabrication of long-period fiber gratings by focused irradiation of infrared femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 24(10), 646–648 (1999). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. E. Fertein, C. Przygodzki, H. Delbarre, A. Hidayat, M. Douay, and P. Niay, “Refractive-index changes of standard telecommunication fiber through exposure to femtosecond laser pulses at 810cm,” Appl. Opt. 40(21), 3506–3508 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. A. Martinez, M. Dubov, I. Khrushchev, and I. Bennion, “Direct writing of fiber Bragg gratings by femtosecond laser,” Electron. Lett. 40(19), 1170–1172 (2004). [CrossRef]
8. K. I. Kawamura, N. Sarukura, M. Hirano, and S. Hosono, “Holographic encoding of fine-pitched micrograting structures in amorphous SiO2 thin films on silicon by a single femtosecond laser pulse,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 78(8), 1038–1040 (2001). [CrossRef]
9. A. Dragomir, D. N. Nikogosyan, K. A. Zagorulko, P. G. Kryukov, and E. M. Dianov, “Inscription of fiber Bragg gratings by ultraviolet femtosecond radiation,” Opt. Lett. 28(22), 2171–2173 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. M. Bernier, R. Vallée, B. Morasse, C. Desrosiers, A. Saliminia, and Y. Sheng, “Ytterbium fiber laser based on first-order fiber Bragg gratings written with 400 nm femtosecond pulses and a phase-mask,” Opt. Express 17(21), 18887–18893 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. S. J. Mihailov, C. W. Smelser, P. Lu, R. B. Walker, D. Grobnic, H. Ding, G. Henderson, and J. Unruh, “Fiber bragg gratings made with a phase mask and 800-nm femtosecond radiation,” Opt. Lett. 28(12), 995–997 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. S. J. Mihailov, D. Grobnic, C. W. Smelser, P. Lu, R. B. Walker, and H. Ding, “Induced Bragg gratings in optical fibers and waveguides using an ultrafast infrared laser and a phase mask,” Laser Chem. 2008, 416251 (2008). [CrossRef]
13. M. Bernier, D. Faucher, R. Vallée, A. Saliminia, G. Androz, Y. Sheng, and S. L. Chin, “Bragg gratings photoinduced in ZBLAN fibers by femtosecond pulses at 800 nm,” Opt. Lett. 32(5), 454–456 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. R. Suo, J. Lousteau, H. Li, X. Jiang, K. Zhou, L. Zhang, W. N. MacPherson, H. T. Bookey, J. S. Barton, A. K. Kar, A. Jha, and I. Bennion, “Fiber Bragg gratings inscribed using 800nm femtosecond laser and a phase mask in single- and multi-core mid-IR glass fibers,” Opt. Express 17(9), 7540–7548 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. M. Bernier, Y. Sheng, and R. Vallée, “Ultrabroadband fiber Bragg gratings written with a highly chirped phase mask and infrared femtosecond pulses,” Opt. Express 17(5), 3285–3290 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. C. W. Smelser, S. J. Mihailov, and D. Grobnic, “Formation of Type I-IR and Type II-IR gratings with an ultrafast IR laser and a phase mask,” Opt. Express 13(14), 5377–5386 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. A. Braun, G. Korn, X. Liu, D. Du, J. Squier, and G. Mourou, “Self-channeling of high-peak-power femtosecond laser pulses in air,” Opt. Lett. 20(1), 73–75 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. A. Brodeur, C. Y. Chien, F. A. Ilkov, S. L. Chin, O. G. Kosareva, and V. P. Kandidov, “Moving focus in the propagation of ultrashort laser pulses in air,” Opt. Lett. 22(5), 304–306 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. O. G. Kosareva, V. P. Kandidov, A. Brodeur, C. Y. Chien, and S. L. Chin, “Conical emission from laser plasma interactions in the filamentation of powerful ultrashort laser pulses in air,” Opt. Lett. 22(17), 1332–1334 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
20. S. Tzortzakis, L. Bergé, A. Couairon, M. Franco, B. Prade, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Breakup and fusion of self-guided femtosecond light pulses in air,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 86(24), 5470–5473 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
21. K. Yamada, W. Watanabe, T. Toma, K. Itoh, and J. Nishii, “In situ observation of photoinduced refractive-index changes in filaments formed in glasses by femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 26(1), 19–21 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
22. N. T. Nguyen, A. Saliminia, W. Liu, S. L. Chin, and R. Vallée, “Optical breakdown versus filamentation in fused silica by use of femtosecond infrared laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 28(17), 1591–1593 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
23. S. L. Chin, S. A. Hosseini, W. Liu, Q. Luo, F. Theberge, N. Aközbek, A. Becker, V. P. Kandidov, O. G. Kosareva, and H. Schroeder, “The propagation of powerful femtosecond laser pulses in optical media: physics, applications, and new challenges,” Can. J. Phys. 83(9), 863–905 (2005). [CrossRef]
24. A. Dubietis, G. Tamosauskas, G. Fibich, and B. Ilan, “Multiple filamentation induced by input-beam ellipticity,” Opt. Lett. 29(10), 1126–1128 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
25. D. Majus, V. Jukna, G. Valiulis, and A. Dubietis, “Generation of periodic filament arrays by self-focusing of highly elliptical ultrashort pulsed laser beams,” Phys. Rev. A 79(3), 033843 (2009). [CrossRef]
26. J. P. Bérubé, R. Vallée, M. Bernier, O. G. Kosareva, N. Panov, V. Kandidov, and S. L. Chin, “Self and forced periodic arrangement of multiple filaments in glass,” Opt. Express 18(3), 1801–1819 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
27. C. W. Smelser, D. Grobnic, and S. J. Mihailov, “Generation of pure two-beam interference grating structures in an optical fiber with a femtosecond infrared source and a phase mask,” Opt. Lett. 29(15), 1730–1732 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
28. A. Brodeur and S. L. Chin, “Ultrafast white-light continuum generation and self-focusing in transparent condensed media,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 16(4), 637–650 (1999). [CrossRef]
29. H. B. Sun, S. Juodkazis, M. Watanabe, S. Matsuo, H. Misawa, and J. Nishii, “Generation and recombination of defects in vitreous silica induced by irradiation with a near-infrared femtosecond laser,” J. Phys. Chem. B 104(15), 3450–3455 (2000). [CrossRef]
30. W. Liu, S. Petit, A. Becker, N. Aközbek, C. M. Bowden, and S. L. Chin, “Intensity clamping of a femtosecond laser pulse in condensed matter,” Opt. Commun. 202(1-3), 189–197 (2002). [CrossRef]
31. A. Barthelemy, S. Maneuf, and C. Froehly, “Soliton propagation and self-trapping of laser beams by a Kerr optical nonlinearity,” Opt. Commun. 55(3), 201–206 (1985). [CrossRef]
32. G. P. Agrawal, Applications of Nonlinear Fiber Optics (Academic Press, 2001).

Appl. Opt.

• E. Fertein, C. Przygodzki, H. Delbarre, A. Hidayat, M. Douay, and P. Niay, “Refractive-index changes of standard telecommunication fiber through exposure to femtosecond laser pulses at 810cm,” Appl. Opt. 40(21), 3506–3508 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• K. I. Kawamura, N. Sarukura, M. Hirano, and S. Hosono, “Holographic encoding of fine-pitched micrograting structures in amorphous SiO2 thin films on silicon by a single femtosecond laser pulse,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 78(8), 1038–1040 (2001). [CrossRef]
• K. O. Hill, B. Malo, F. Bilodeau, D. C. Johnson, and J. Albert, “Bragg gratings fabricated in monomode photosensitive optical fiber by UV exposure through a phase mask,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 62(10), 1035–1037 (1993). [CrossRef]

Can. J. Phys.

• S. L. Chin, S. A. Hosseini, W. Liu, Q. Luo, F. Theberge, N. Aközbek, A. Becker, V. P. Kandidov, O. G. Kosareva, and H. Schroeder, “The propagation of powerful femtosecond laser pulses in optical media: physics, applications, and new challenges,” Can. J. Phys. 83(9), 863–905 (2005). [CrossRef]

Electron. Lett.

• A. Martinez, M. Dubov, I. Khrushchev, and I. Bennion, “Direct writing of fiber Bragg gratings by femtosecond laser,” Electron. Lett. 40(19), 1170–1172 (2004). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• A. Brodeur and S. L. Chin, “Ultrafast white-light continuum generation and self-focusing in transparent condensed media,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 16(4), 637–650 (1999). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. Chem. B

• H. B. Sun, S. Juodkazis, M. Watanabe, S. Matsuo, H. Misawa, and J. Nishii, “Generation and recombination of defects in vitreous silica induced by irradiation with a near-infrared femtosecond laser,” J. Phys. Chem. B 104(15), 3450–3455 (2000). [CrossRef]

Laser Chem.

• S. J. Mihailov, D. Grobnic, C. W. Smelser, P. Lu, R. B. Walker, and H. Ding, “Induced Bragg gratings in optical fibers and waveguides using an ultrafast infrared laser and a phase mask,” Laser Chem. 2008, 416251 (2008). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• L. Sudrie, M. Franco, B. Prade, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Study of damage in fused silica induced by ultra-short IR laser pulses,” Opt. Commun. 191(3-6), 333–339 (2001). [CrossRef]
• W. Liu, S. Petit, A. Becker, N. Aközbek, C. M. Bowden, and S. L. Chin, “Intensity clamping of a femtosecond laser pulse in condensed matter,” Opt. Commun. 202(1-3), 189–197 (2002). [CrossRef]
• A. Barthelemy, S. Maneuf, and C. Froehly, “Soliton propagation and self-trapping of laser beams by a Kerr optical nonlinearity,” Opt. Commun. 55(3), 201–206 (1985). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• J. P. Bérubé, R. Vallée, M. Bernier, O. G. Kosareva, N. Panov, V. Kandidov, and S. L. Chin, “Self and forced periodic arrangement of multiple filaments in glass,” Opt. Express 18(3), 1801–1819 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Bernier, R. Vallée, B. Morasse, C. Desrosiers, A. Saliminia, and Y. Sheng, “Ytterbium fiber laser based on first-order fiber Bragg gratings written with 400 nm femtosecond pulses and a phase-mask,” Opt. Express 17(21), 18887–18893 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. Suo, J. Lousteau, H. Li, X. Jiang, K. Zhou, L. Zhang, W. N. MacPherson, H. T. Bookey, J. S. Barton, A. K. Kar, A. Jha, and I. Bennion, “Fiber Bragg gratings inscribed using 800nm femtosecond laser and a phase mask in single- and multi-core mid-IR glass fibers,” Opt. Express 17(9), 7540–7548 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Bernier, Y. Sheng, and R. Vallée, “Ultrabroadband fiber Bragg gratings written with a highly chirped phase mask and infrared femtosecond pulses,” Opt. Express 17(5), 3285–3290 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. W. Smelser, S. J. Mihailov, and D. Grobnic, “Formation of Type I-IR and Type II-IR gratings with an ultrafast IR laser and a phase mask,” Opt. Express 13(14), 5377–5386 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• A. Braun, G. Korn, X. Liu, D. Du, J. Squier, and G. Mourou, “Self-channeling of high-peak-power femtosecond laser pulses in air,” Opt. Lett. 20(1), 73–75 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Brodeur, C. Y. Chien, F. A. Ilkov, S. L. Chin, O. G. Kosareva, and V. P. Kandidov, “Moving focus in the propagation of ultrashort laser pulses in air,” Opt. Lett. 22(5), 304–306 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• O. G. Kosareva, V. P. Kandidov, A. Brodeur, C. Y. Chien, and S. L. Chin, “Conical emission from laser plasma interactions in the filamentation of powerful ultrashort laser pulses in air,” Opt. Lett. 22(17), 1332–1334 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. J. Mihailov, C. W. Smelser, P. Lu, R. B. Walker, D. Grobnic, H. Ding, G. Henderson, and J. Unruh, “Fiber bragg gratings made with a phase mask and 800-nm femtosecond radiation,” Opt. Lett. 28(12), 995–997 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Bernier, D. Faucher, R. Vallée, A. Saliminia, G. Androz, Y. Sheng, and S. L. Chin, “Bragg gratings photoinduced in ZBLAN fibers by femtosecond pulses at 800 nm,” Opt. Lett. 32(5), 454–456 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Kondo, K. Nouchi, T. Mitsuyu, M. Watanabe, P. G. Kazansky, and K. Hirao, “Fabrication of long-period fiber gratings by focused irradiation of infrared femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 24(10), 646–648 (1999). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett. 21(21), 1729–1731 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Dragomir, D. N. Nikogosyan, K. A. Zagorulko, P. G. Kryukov, and E. M. Dianov, “Inscription of fiber Bragg gratings by ultraviolet femtosecond radiation,” Opt. Lett. 28(22), 2171–2173 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. W. Smelser, D. Grobnic, and S. J. Mihailov, “Generation of pure two-beam interference grating structures in an optical fiber with a femtosecond infrared source and a phase mask,” Opt. Lett. 29(15), 1730–1732 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. Meltz, W. W. Morey, and W. H. Glenn, “Formation of Bragg gratings in optical fibers by a transverse holographic method,” Opt. Lett. 14(15), 823–825 (1989). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Dubietis, G. Tamosauskas, G. Fibich, and B. Ilan, “Multiple filamentation induced by input-beam ellipticity,” Opt. Lett. 29(10), 1126–1128 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. Yamada, W. Watanabe, T. Toma, K. Itoh, and J. Nishii, “In situ observation of photoinduced refractive-index changes in filaments formed in glasses by femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 26(1), 19–21 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• N. T. Nguyen, A. Saliminia, W. Liu, S. L. Chin, and R. Vallée, “Optical breakdown versus filamentation in fused silica by use of femtosecond infrared laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 28(17), 1591–1593 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. A

• D. Majus, V. Jukna, G. Valiulis, and A. Dubietis, “Generation of periodic filament arrays by self-focusing of highly elliptical ultrashort pulsed laser beams,” Phys. Rev. A 79(3), 033843 (2009). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• S. Tzortzakis, L. Bergé, A. Couairon, M. Franco, B. Prade, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Breakup and fusion of self-guided femtosecond light pulses in air,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 86(24), 5470–5473 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• G. P. Agrawal, Applications of Nonlinear Fiber Optics (Academic Press, 2001).

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