On the synthesis of fiber Bragg gratings by layer peeling

Two methods for grating synthesis which have appeared in the literature recently are compared directly. In particular, we point out the similarity between the two; both algorithms are based on propagation of the fields through the structure with simultaneous evaluation of the coupling coefficient according to simple causality arguments (layer-peeling algorithms). The first published method (the discrete layer-peeling algorithm) is reformulated in a simpler, more efficient way, and it is shown that its implementation can be made exact. For mathematical comparison, a derivation of the second method (the continuous layer-peeling algorithm) is presented. The methods are compared both mathematically and numerically. We find that the discrete layer-peeling algorithm is significantly faster and can be more stable than its continuous counterpart, whereas the continuous algorithm offers some advantages in flexibility