For a second, consecutive, year research results from the Photonic Materials and Devices Laboratory of FORTH-IESL headed by Dr Stavros Pissadakis, is highlighted in the December issue of Optics & Photonics News. This annual technology review is published under the auspices of the Optical Society of America (OSA) and lists the most exciting and significant research findings that characterized the passing year in Optics and Photonics.

The reported work focuses on the first demonstration of relief Bragg reflectors in photonic crystal fibres,being indispensible elements in the development of sensing units. Part of the highlighted work was presented during last Bragg Gratings Poling and Photosensitivityconference, held at Colorado Springs US, on June 2012.

FORTH-IESL research group used ultraviolet laser radiation processing in combination with advanced infiltration techniques for the etching of periodic structures onto the capillary walls of photonic crystal fibres, having periodicities of the order of half micrometer. The photonic crystal fibres inscribed with relief Bragg reflectors exhibit extreme thermal durability withstanding temperatures greater than 1000^οC for several hours.The development of such a type of “disruptive” and thermally durable photonic sensor can find several applications in diverse markets areas, spanning from oil drilling and biomedicine to aeronautics and automotive industry. Indicatively, relief Bragg grating photonic crystal fibre reflectors can be implemented in oil-drills or jet engines for providing critical information about temperature and pressure parameters in real time mode.

The research group of Dr Pissadakis already works on the development of a portable protein detector exploiting the “lab-in-a-fibre” protocol and on the study of glass melts using such a type of relief Bragg gratings in photonic crystal fibres. Keyrole contributors in this novel demonstration were the photonic sensor expert Dr Maria Konstantaki, and the post-doctoral fellows Paul Childs and Michele Sozzi.

Contact information:
Stavros Pissadakis, Principal Researcher
Photonic Materials and Devices - Laboratory (PMD-L), IESL-FORTH
Tel.: +30 2810 391348
E-mail: pissas@iesl.forth.gr
Website: http://www.iesl.forth.gr/users/pmdl/