AbstractIn this paper we present a fiber optic sensor that is designed for embedded applications and long term health monitoring of structures. The sensor design uses an induced phase discontinuity in the fiber Bragg grating to create a narrow pass‐band within the reflection spectrum of the grating. The position of this narrow window within the Bragg spectrum is used to monitor the sensor's health. Theoretical analysis and experimental results are presented for this class of self‐monitoring sensors. Related signal demodulation scheme is also discus