Bragg grating UV inscription in a bioresorbable phosphate glass optical fiber

We report on the inscription of Bragg gratings in a bioresorbable phosphate optical fiber using 193 nm excimer laser radiation and the phase mask technique. Bragg gratings with a typical 6 dB transmission strength were created over a length of 5 mm employing moderate inscription energy densities. The dissolution of the fiber, when immersed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution, was studied through the alteration of the spectral response of the cladding modes scattered by Bragg reflectors inscribed with a small tilting angle.