Low-loss highly overcoupled fused couplers: fabrication andsensitivity to external pressure

A flame brush technique for fabrication of optical directional couplers that maintain low loss over many coupling cycles is discussed. Couplers with excess losses less than 3% and with 2500 power transfer cycles in the coupling are reported. Such couplers, which have a narrow wavelength band transmission (0.12 nm), can be tuned by applying an external hydrostatic pressure. The long fused couplers can also have application as optical fiber sensors