Spectrally Resolved Transmission Loss in Gamma Irradiated Yb-Doped Optical Fibers

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics Vol. 44; no. 6; pp. 581 - 586
• Main Authors: Fox, B.P., Schneider, Z.V., Simmons-Potter, K., Thomes, W.J., Meister, D.C., Bambha, R.P., Kliner, D.A.V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01-06-2008; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Amplifiers; Dosage; Exposure; Fiber lasers; Fibers; Gamma irradiation; Ionizing radiation; Laser modes; Optical fiber amplifiers; Optical fiber losses; Optical fibers; Optical materials; photodarkening; Propagation losses; radiation effects; radiation-induced absorption; rare-earth doped fibers; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Spectra; Stimulated emission; Transmission loss; Transmittance; Yb-doped fibers
• ISSN: 0018-9197; 1558-1713
• DOI: 10.1109/JQE.2008.919873

Yb 3+ -doped silicate fibers are commonly employed in optical systems utilizing fiber lasers and amplifiers. Deployment of such materials and systems in space-based and other adverse radiation environments requires knowledge of their response to fluxes of ionizing radiation. This paper reports the results of gamma radiation exposures on a suite of passive, modern, highly Yb 3+ -doped aluminosilicate fibers. Of interest are the effects of total dose and dose rate as well as the development of radiation-induced absorption across a broad spectral window (1.0-1.7 mum). Results indicate that these fibers exhibit reasonable radiation resistance to gamma exposures typical of a five-year low-Earth-orbit environment. Maximum transmittance losses of less than 10% in the 1.0-1.7-mum spectral region for total gamma exposures of 2-5 krad (Si) were observed. In addition, it was found that the dependence of transmittance on radiation dose generally followed a power law that was dependent on dose rate.