Characteristics of Fused Optical Fiber Grating Couplers with Tapered Shapes

Abstract

Fused optical fiber grating couplers (FGCs), in which Bragg gratings are written in the coupling regions of fused optical fiber couplers with tapered shapes along them are theoretically and experimentally investigated. By coupled mode analysis considering these tapered shapes, the drop efficiencies of the FGCs, which are inherently zero for the normal fiber couplers without grating, are calculated. The grating offset, which is the difference between the centers of grating and the coupler taper, is found to be effective to increase the drop efficiency of the FGC. It is determined that the tapered shapes influence the wavelength dependence of the drop efficiency and tolerate the grating offset precision. Apodizations for the grating of FGC are found to be effective in suppressing side lobes of the drop efficiency. Measurement of the wavelength characteristics of drop efficiency and the temperature characteristics of drop wavelength of the fabricated fused FGC confirm that the lightwave with specific wavelength can be dropped by the FGC and that the temperature dependence of the drop wavelength is similar to that of Bragg wavelength changes of usual fiber Bragg gratings.