This is the first report, to our knowledge, of refractive-index grating side writing in 10 mol.% GeO(2)-doped fiber by the near-UV light of a cw Ar(+) laser (333-364 nm). An induced-index magnitude as large as 1.9 x 10(-4) at 1.7x10(5) W/cm(2) UV power density has been achieved. The observed gratings have exhibited the same temperature stability as gratings written by a KrF excimer laser (248 nm).
