Temperature-insensitive long period grating sensors in photonic crystal fibre

A long period grating has been fabricated in endlessly singlemode photonic crystal fibre using a spatially-periodic electric arc discharge. The sensing characteristics of the grating have been studied and it was found to possess an insensitivity to temperature, a bend sensitivity of 3.7 nm (.) m and a strain sensitivity of -2.0 pm/muepsilon.