Abstract
The combustion of coal wastes resulting from mining is of particular environmental concern, and the importance of proper management involving real-time assessment of their status and identification of probable evolution scenarios is recognized. Continuous monitoring of the combustion temperature and emission levels of certain gases allows for the possibility of planning corrective actions to minimize their negative impact on the surroundings. Optical fiber technology is well suited to this purpose and here we describe the main attributes and results obtained from a fiber optic sensing system projected to gather data on distributed temperature and gas emissions in these harsh environments.

Abstract
This paper will review the fabrication of monolithic integrated optical devices by laser direct writing with femtosecond pulsed laser sources, starting with the description of experimental procedures and optimal conditions to fabricate low loss optical waveguides, directional couplers, Y-junctions and first order Bragg gratings by point-by-point writing methods. Finally, the characterization results of a fully operational Add-Drop filter in pure fused silica substrate are described.

Abstract
Optical waveguides directly written in fused silica using a femtosecond laser were characterized from 350 to 1750 nm to gain insight on the waveguide's loss mechanisms and their dependence on processing parameters, such as pulse energy, scan velocity, and annealing temperature. Two major loss mechanisms were identified. In the range of parameters tested, high pulse energy was seen to improve coupling losses at long wavelengths, while high scan velocity has a negative effect in both Rayleigh scattering and coupling losses at long wavelengths. Thermal annealing of the waveguides demonstrated an improvement of the Rayleigh scattering at a cost of higher coupling losses at long wavelengths. Wavelength independent Mie scattering was also observed, evolving negatively with pulse energy. A minimum Rayleigh scattering coefficient of approximate to 0.5 dB.cm(-1).mu m(4) (approximate to 0.08 dB.cm(-1).mu m(4) for thermally treated waveguides) together with a Mie scattering coefficient of approximate to 0.2-0.65 dB/cm are reported.

Abstract
A femtosecond laser direct writing system was developed to explore the fabrication of long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs) in SMF28 fibers. The LPFGs, showing the mode LP1,6 at 1500 nm, were exposed to high-temperature annealing up to 950 °C. Modifications in the refractive index (RI) modulation are observed through a blue-shift in the LPFG attenuation bands and above 850 °C, the mode LP1,7 appear at 1600 nm. The wavelength sensitivity to external RI from 1.300 to 1.452 was estimated for both modes before and after annealing. Greater sensitivity was found for the higher order mode in the entire range reaching 2400 nm/RIU around 1.440.

Abstract
The fabrication of optical waveguides with femtosecond laser direct writing is reported in two materials, Suprasil1 and Eagle2000. The influence of typical fabrication parameters, such as pulse energy and scan velocity, on the waveguide's spectral characteristics is explored from 500 to 1700 nm. Tests conducted in Suprasil1 evidence a strong presence of Rayleigh scattering, hindering the production of low-loss waveguides at short wavelengths. On the other hand, optical waveguides fabricated in Eagle2000 exhibited lower insertion losses at short wavelengths, enabling the fabrication of low-loss broadband optical waveguides with a two order of magnitude higher scan velocity when compared with Suprasil1.

Abstract
A Fabry-Perot interferometer was fabricated inside a fused silica substrate through femtosecond laser micromachining. The influence of the waveguide's writing parameters on the measured signal's quality was studied for an interferometer with a 27-mu m wide cavity. Optimal signal-to-noise ratio and fringe visibility were obtained for waveguides written at 75 nJ and 50 mu m/s. The same device was characterized with different refractive index liquids, and a maximum sensitivity of 1181.4 +/- 23.6 nm/RIU was obtained in the index range of 1.2962 to 1.3828 (at 1550 nm) for the spectral order m = 46.