V-groove-based compact FBG package for thermal tuning and mechanical stability

We demonstrated a V-groove-based fiber Bragg grating (FBG) package that has been glue-filled and cured to make it a bulky component with much improved mechanical stability. The V-groove can be executed with many types of materials including plastics, ceramics, semiconductors, and metals, providing an easy method for redesigning the thermal tuning performance of FBGs by selecting among a wide variety of materials and processes. We achieved more than 10-nm thermal wavelength tuning and thermal sensitivity ranging from 15 to 160 pm/K. The original FBG spectrum can be maintained without any degradation because the fiber is buried in the V-groove. The compact package does not increase the original grating length and turns the FBG into a planar waveguide grating, improving FBG applications in telecommunications, external cavity lasers, and sensing areas.