Effects of Curvature on Flexible Bragg Grating in Off-Axis Core: Theory and Experiment

A high curvature flexible Bragg grating, in planar technology, is designed, fabricated and experimentally characterized by employing silica glass. The curvature sensing mechanism for slightly off-axis core is theoretically explained and experimentally demonstrated. The electromagnetic behavior of the proposed sensor is investigated through conformal mapping, modal analysis, and coupled-mode theory. The experimental measurement reveals different sensitivities to positive and negative curvatures. The reflection spectrum of the planar Bragg grating sensor and the relationship between its resonant wavelengths and the curvature is measured for a large curvature range up to 1/R = ± 33m-1. The interest toward off-axis core on planar flexible platform for curvature monitoring is due to the lateral stiffness and low Young's modulus of the substrate.