Measuring Bragg gratings in multimode optical fibers

Fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) in multimode optical fibers provide a means for cost-effictive devices resulting in simplified and robust optic sensor systems. Parasitic mode effects in optical components of the entire measurement system strongly influence the measured multi-resonance reflection spectrum. Using a mode transfer matrix formalism we can describe these complex mode coupling effects in multimode optical systems in more detail. We demonstrate the accordance of the theory by two experiments. With this formalism it is possible to understand and optimize mode effects in multimode fiber optic systems. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America