We present our recent studies regarding the influence of ionized radiation when a monolithic Holmium fibre laser was exposed under a total dose of 350 Gy of γ-radiation. Since fibre lasers have many uses for space applications, it is important to study the robustness and the effects caused by ionized radiation. The optical fibre laser was characterized before and after the exposure using spectrum analysis and Raman spectrometry while the variations were quantified. Moreover, the fibre laser response and the FBG mirrors' temperature response were analyzed.
The investigation of impact of ionizing radiation on photonic waveguides and devices is of a large interest due to new demanding applications in harsh environments, such as space or high-energy-physics experiments and more. Thus, the effects of gamma radiation on refractive index inducing propagation loss different optical fibers are investigated by means of several approaches including fiber Bragg gratings and long period gratings (LPG). In this work, we report the results on exposure to gamma irradiation up to tens of kGy of LPGs written in single-mode optical fibers with unconventional dopants, such as B and P. The LPGs in a reflective configuration have been written using the electric arc discharge technique. The attention is focused on the real-time measurement of LPG resonance, i.e., wavelength shift and transmission power changes during irradiation, as well as the recovery effects after the irradiation. It has been found that the impact of gamma is significantly dependent on the fiber type and the LPG properties. The LPGs in B/Ge co-doped fiber show both the higher resonant wavelength shift and low power losses. Such results are useful for those working with optical fibers and related sensors in environments exposed to radiations.
Harmonics generation in plasma by high-power pulsed lasers is an important task for plasma diagnosis. This is because of the strong relationship between the plasma characteristics and the properties of the harmonics radiation. Here we analyze the spatial and temporal properties of third harmonic (TH) radiation generated by focusing ns and fs laser pulses in air at intensities of the order of tens of TW/cm2. The air is considered a non-dispersive non-linear (NL) medium due to the low density ofN2 ions in the breakdown plasma produced under the laser pulses. We address the influence of the pump laser intensity on the properties of TH radiation. We find theoretically and experimentally that the intensity of TH radiation at the output of the NL medium increases linearly with third power of the pump peak intensity, both for ns and fs laser pulses. In case of fs pulses, we demonstrate that TH pulse duration decreases with pump intensity, in correlation to the air breakdown plasma properties. In case of ns laser pulses, we demonstrate that the TH beam diameter is two times smaller than the fundamental’s. The theoretical results on the dependence of the TH signal to the driving peak intensity are supported by experimental data.
We further analyze the influence of the gamma radiation on the several commercially optical fibers that are usually employed in the laser-target interaction area. The radiation effects such as photo-darkening induced in optical fibers can severely decrease the performance of optical transmission. We investigated the change of optical transmission induced by gamma-ray radiation. Multimode optical fibers, with a core diameter of 200 μm (usable in UV, ultra-highvacuum and high temperatures conditions), were investigated in order to evaluate their possible use for diagnosis of plasmas produced by high power lasers. The optical properties were studied by analyzing the transmitted spectra of the fibers before and after irradiation, demonstrating a decrease of the measured spectrum of the optical fiber output when increasing gamma dose to 16 kGy.
The results are important from both fundamental and practical points of view, providing an efficient tool for prediction of the non-linear optical phenomena in laser produced plasmas and for non-contact diagnosis of the harmonics-generating plasmas.
We consider a comparative study of radiation effects (γ and electron) on fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) that were inscribed using a femtosecond laser in single mode silica optical fibre. The FBGs were inscribed using the point-by-point and the plane-by-plane inscription methods. The FBGs were exposed to a total accumulated radiation dose of 15 kGy in both γ and electron cases. The gratings’ spectra were measured and analysed before and after the exposure to the radiation, while complementary characterisation was undertaken using Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the changes of the temperature coefficient of the FBGs were analysed comparatively prior to the irradiation to explain how material changes responded to the particular types of radiation. Finally, we consider which of the two inscription methods proves more robust in such harsh environments.
Here, we report a comparative experimental investigation about the radiation sensitivity of Long Period Gratings (LPGs), fabricated in several optical fibers (from standard to radiation hardened ones) by electric arc discharge technique. For the purpose, similar set of gratings were tested under two different conditions. One is gamma radiation produced by a 60Co source using a 0.2 kGy/h dose rate and up to 25-35 kGy total doses. The other is mixed neutron-gamma exposure in a nuclear reactor at 9 Gy/s gamma-rate and 1.25∙1012 n/(cm2 ∙s) neutron flux, reaching a total gamma dose of about 65 kGy and neutron fluence of 9.18∙1015 n/cm2 . The analysis was focused on the real-time radiation-induced wavelength shift exhibited by the gratings. As an outcome, the responses of the LPGs subjected to the different radiations were compared and correlated with fiber compositions.
The sensitivity of low-loss perfluorinated polymer optical fiber (PF-POF) to gamma radiation is investigated for on-line
radiation monitoring purposes. The radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) of a commercial PF-POF based on Cytop material
is measured in the visible spectral region. The fiber RIA shows strong wavelength dependence with rapid increase towards
the blue side of the spectrum. The wide range of radiation sensitivities is available via careful selection of appropriate
monitoring wavelength. The accessible sensitivities span from 1.6 ± 0.2 dBm-1/kGy measured at 750 nm to
18.3 ± 0.7 dBm-1/kGy measured at 420 nm. The fairly high radiation sensitivity as well as its wide tunability makes the
fiber a promising candidate for a broad range of applications.
We have studied the influence of gamma rays on physical properties of different commercially available silica optical
fibers stepwise irradiated up to a total dose of 100 kGy. The detection of radiation-induced changes in silica glass offers
the possibility of using selected optical fibers as distributed radiation sensors. The measurements performed by us were
based on optical backscatter reflectometry and Brillouin distributed sensing. The measurement methods enable an
analysis of radiation-induced modification of the group refractive index and density of the optical fibers. The most
distinct physical effect observed by us concerns the increase of the optical attenuation with rising total radiation doses.
Quantitative measurement results indicate a crucial impact of fiber dopants on radiation-induced physical and sensory
characteristics of silica optical fibers affected by differences in fiber fabrication techniques. Based on the obtained
results, the suitability of distributed Brillouin sensing for dosimetry applications seems to be improved by modifying the
refractive index profile of the fiber core.
In this paper, we present the first results regarding the on-line monitoring of gamma-ray exposure effects on a commercial multi-mode perfluorinated polymer optical fiber (PF-POF), type GigaPOF-50SR from Chromis Fiberoptics. Our focus was to evaluate on-line the radiation induced attenuation (RIA) over a wide spectral range (320 nm – 1700 nm), in order to assess the fiber’s radiation hardness and its possible use in radiation detection. An Ocean Optics QE65000 high sensitivity spectrometer and a StellarNet near-IR spectrometer were used to cover the spectral ranges 200 nm – 1μm and 900 nm – 1.6 μm, respectively. Electron paramagnetic resonance was used to monitor the recovery of the irradiation induced centers at room temperature. The study indicated that the optical fiber can be used as radiation monitor at low dose rates by measuring the attenuation in the UV, while higher dose rates irradiation can be observed by RIA monitoring at specific wavelengths in the visible spectral range.
We report the evaluation of one long period grating (LPG) and one fiber Bragg grating (FBG) under gamma irradiation. The LPG was produced by the melting-drawing method based on CO2 laser assisted by a micro-flame and was engraved in a commercial single mode fiber SMF28 from Corning, grating length 25 mm, grating pitch of 720 μm. After the manufacturing of the grating, the fiber was re-coated with Acrylate and the grating was inserted into special ceramic case transparent to gamma radiation. The FBG is commercialized by Technica SA, and it is written in SMF-28 optical fiber (λ= 1546 nm; grating length of 12 mm; reflectivity > 80 %; bandwidth – BW @3 dB < 0.3 nm; side lobe suppress ratio – SLSR >15 dB; Acrylate recoating). By on-line monitoring of the LPG wavelength deep with an optical fiber interrogator during the irradiation exposure and pauses, both the irradiation induced shift (maximum 1.45 nm) and the recovery (in the range of 200 pm) phenomena were observed. Temperature sensitivity of the LPS was not affected by gamma irradiation.
The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of gamma irradiation process on the colour of painted wood panels.
Insects and micro-organisms are frequently identified enemies of cultural objects from museums and archives. Based on
its biocide effect, gamma radiation could be used for decontamination and conservation purposes. Important advantages
can be mentioned in its favour: no toxic or radioactive residues remained in the treated item; large amount of objects can
be treated quickly; excellent reliability; attractive cost. In case of emergency radiation treatment in industrial facilities is
probably the only method that can be used. There is also a potential side-effect. Interaction of gamma rays with any
substance may change its chemical and physical properties. The change is proportional with the irradiation dose. In the
case of paintings, eventually colour changes have to be evaluated. Such an approach actually establishes irradiation
treatment limitations. A portable integrating sphere spectrophotometer was used for colour measurements. The results of
colour analysis before and after the radiation treatment of the painted wood panels are reported and discussed.
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