Refractive Index Vs. Group Delay: Numerical Investigation of Fiber Bragg Gratings for Slow Light Applications

Controlling the light propagation velocity with aim to slow it down and hence creating the group delay of transmitted light using fiber Bragg gratings is possible by carefully adjusting their parameters. For the past decade or so they have been considered a prospective candidate for optical buffers in transparent optical network elements as well as for the sensitivity and resolution improving approach in sensing solutions, which has initiated an increased focus on their research. Since the group time delay depends on various FBG parameters, numerical investigation accurately modelling underlying physics of the slow light mechanism in FBGs still presents valuable subject. In this paper the influence of several FBG parameters is numerically investigated, specifically the refractive index modulation depth, the grating length and other modelling aspects on spectral characteristics of group delays representing structural slow light in uniform FBGs.