Applications

FBG technology provides a flexible way to control light or use light as a measurement signal. A Fiber Bragg Grating is a wavelength-selective structure written directly into an optical fiber. By tailoring the grating period, length, reflectivity and group-delay characteristics, an FBG can filter selected wavelengths, introduce precise delays, reshape optical pulses or respond to temperature and strain. This shared technology platform allows Proximion to develop solutions ranging from telecommunications modules and fiber optic sensors to components for medical imaging, quantum communications and scientific instruments.

In high-capacity optical networks, chromatic dispersion causes different wavelength components to travel at different speeds, broadening transmitted pulses and potentially reducing signal quality. Proximion uses ultra-long chirped FBGs in dispersion compensation modules to apply an engineered wavelength-dependent delay that counteracts this effect.

For organisations seeking a DCM, Proximion’s continuous-band solutions offer low insertion loss, negligible latency and no additional nonlinear effects. They can be adapted for metro, long-haul, ultra-long-haul, submarine and mixed-generation optical systems.

The same FBG platform supports dispersion emulation. Instead of correcting a deployed link, a Dispersion Emulation Module generates the chromatic dispersion and dispersion slope of a defined fiber span in a compact laboratory device. This gives developers a stable and repeatable way to test coherent transceivers, DSP algorithms, new modulation formats, QKD equipment and network margins without installing kilometres of test fiber. Optical layer monitoring provides additional visibility by measuring parameters such as optical power, wavelength drift, optical signal-to-noise ratio and spectral shape.

When configured for sensing, an FBG changes its reflected wavelength in response to strain or temperature. With suitable sensor design and packaging, fiber optic sensors can also measure pressure, vibration, displacement, heat flux, fluid level and mechanical load. Multiple gratings can be positioned along one fiber and connected to a remotely located interrogator, creating multipoint sensor arrays with reduced cabling and no electrical power required at the measurement location.

Proximion develops fiber optic sensing systems for manufacturing, energy generation and distribution, chemical processing, cryogenic production and storage, aerospace, defence and civil infrastructure. Typical applications include process-temperature monitoring, reaction and heat-flow analysis, turbine or motor condition monitoring, structural health monitoring of bridges and tunnels, and strain or load measurement in aircraft and rotating machinery. Electromagnetic immunity makes the technology particularly valuable near high-voltage equipment, RF systems, induction heating machinery and MRI equipment, where conventional electronic sensors can be affected by interference.

The application range extends beyond communications and sensing. Custom chirped Fiber Bragg Gratings can be designed with application-specific wavelength ranges, bandwidths and delay profiles for microwave photonics, true-time-delay beamforming, ultrafast pulse stretching and compression, spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography. Related FBG designs support quantum optics and quantum key distribution by managing dispersion, filtering optical signals and controlling the timing or spectral characteristics of photon wave packets.

Proximion combines optical modelling, proprietary grating-writing technology, module engineering, interrogation and in-house manufacturing. Customers can begin with a defined technical specification or work with Proximion to translate a system requirement into a tailored optical component, module or complete sensing solution. This applications hub provides a starting point for exploring how FBG technology, dispersion compensation, dispersion emulation and fiber optic sensors are used across communications, industry, medicine and scientific research.