Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are point optical fiber sensors that allow the monitoring of a diversity of environmental parameters, e.g., temperature or strain. Several research groups have studied radiation effects on the grating response, as they are implemented in harsh environments: high energy physics, space, and nuclear facilities. We report here the advances made to date in studies regarding the vulnerability and hardening of this sensor under radiation. First, we introduce its principle of operation. Second, the different grating inscription techniques are briefly illustrated as well as the differences among the various types. Then, we focus on the radiation effects induced on different FBGs. Radiation induces a shift in their Bragg wavelengths, which is a property serving to measure environmental parameters. This radiation-induced Bragg wavelength shift (RI-BWS) leads to a measurement error, whose amplitude and kinetics depend on many parameters: inscription conditions, fiber type, pre- or post-treatments, and irradiation conditions (nature, dose, dose rate, and temperature). Indeed, the radiation hardness of an FBG is not directly related to that of the fiber where it has been photo-inscribed by a laser. We review the influence of all these parameters and discuss how it is possible to manufacture FBGs with limited RI-BWS, opening the way to their implementation in radiation-rich environments.

The first InGaN-based LDs were reported in 1996 by Nakamura and co-workers [1] and commercialized from 1999 by the Nichia Corporation. Since then, huge efforts have been devoted to the optimization of the epitaxial layers (doping, defect concentration, shortening of the radiative lifetime, etc.). Nowadays, blue laser diodes emitting hundreds of mW are commercially available but they often exhibit multimode behaviors for both transverse and longitudinal directions. The InGaN-based laser diode technology is still in its infancy, compared to its long wavelength counterparts and only recently the first electrically pumped single mode blue laser diodes have been demonstrated [2] with a resolution limited linewidth of 11.7 GHz. At telecom wavelengths, a mature approach to force the laser diode in a single frequency regime consists in using an external feedback by means of Fiber Bragg Grating [3,4]. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, such a compact design has not been proposed for blue laser diodes yet.

A systematic study is reported on the impact of the femtosecond laser inscription conditions on the properties of Fiber Bragg Gratings inscribed in radiation-hardened fibers and on their stability against a high temperature treatment (750°C).