The Investigation on Photosensitivity of Polymer Optical Fiber

In this article, the photosensitivity of poly(methyl methacrylate) and its copolymer is investigated. Bragg gratings and Long Period Gratings (LPGs) are inscribed in the trans-4-stilbenemethanol doped polymer film and fiber. The inscribed conditions are optimized including time and intensity. Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and Scanning Probe Microscopy(SPM) are used to observe the grating characteristics and material development. The micrographs of SEM and SPM show that some periodical microstructures occurred along the grating direction with the irradiation intensity increasing. This is disadvantageous to the grating fabrication. So the irradiation intensity should be as low as possible. The investigation is very promising for the fabrication of flexible polymer optical fiber sensor.