Overview of Addressed Fiber Bragg Structures’ Development

An addressed fiber Bragg structure (AFBS) is a special type of fiber Bragg grating simultaneously performing the functions of a two-frequency radiation shaper and a sensitive element. An AFBS forms a two-frequency optical spectral response at its output, the difference frequency of which is invariant to measured physical fields and is referred to as the address frequency of the AFBS. Each of the AFBSs in the system has its own address frequency; therefore, a number of such structures can be interrogated simultaneously enabling the addressed multiplexing. In this article, we provide an overview of the theory and technology of AFBS, including the structures with three or more spectral components with various combinations of difference frequencies, both symmetrical and asymmetric. The subjects of interrogation of AFBSs, their fabrication and calibration are discussed as well. We also consider a wide range of applications in which AFBS can be used, covering such areas as oil and gas production, power engineering, transport, medicine, etc. In addition, the prospects for the further development of AFBS are proposed that mitigate the shortcomings of the current AFBSs’ state of the art and open up new possibilities of their application.