Excimer laser irradiated phase masks for grating formation

Excimer laser irradiated phase masks provide a convenient and effective method for writing submicron gratings for optoelectronic device applications including optical fibre gratings. We have analysed the interference field produced by a periodic mask and have assessed the near-field energy density and fluence distribution for varying degrees of order content when exposed using an excimer laser with finite spatial and temporal coherence. Comparisons are made between theory and experimental findings for gratings produced on ablated polymers and in optical fibres.