This article presents the effect of fiber Bragg gratings side lobes on interrogation systems consisting of sensor and matched filters. The conducted research shows that high-value side lobe structures applied as sensors and/or filters are characterized by some interesting properties. The paper presents both numerical analysis and experimental verification of the fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) interrogation systems with matched filters for gratings containing high side lobes. Numerical modeling of Bragg structures was performed for two different cases: uniform and inverse apodization. Modification of apodization can change the side lobe reflectance level even above levels found in uniform structures. This is a case not described in the literature, especially in terms of possible applications. Transfer characteristics, i.e., the relationship between power intensity as a function of wavelength shift, were determined. A collection of gratings with spectra corresponding to those analyzed in numerical experiments were fabricated. Next, the transfer characteristics of the interrogation systems containing real FBG were determined. The properties of the proposed systems are described. It has been shown that a significant level of sidebands, which is often the subject of many drawbacks in filtering or telecommunications systems, can be an advantage. It has been demonstrated that a high level of side lobes can be used to increase the measurement range of the FBG sensor interrogation systems. It has been determined numerically and confirmed experimentally that from the point of view of the design of sensor interrogation systems, it is beneficial to combine specific pairs of gratings: one with a spectrum characterized by a low side lobe level and a second one in which the spectrum has very high side lobes.
Keywords: FBG sensors; interrogation; inverse apodization.