[en] Some applications of optical fibers require their exposure to intense radiation fields. This exposure can potentially degrade performance of a fiber data link. Research at Los Alamos National Laboratory has recently concentrated on development of an understanding of such radiation effects at short times, less than 100 ns. In previous papers we have identified a particular type of fiber, ITT plastic-clad-silica (PCS) with Suprasil core as optimum for short time radiation-induced attenuation, but that work used very large doses of ionizing radiation, close to 1 Mrad. For these high dose exposures, moderate success in understanding the transient nature of the attenuation was realized with a geminate recombination model. In this paper, we report further studies with ITT PCS fiber over a range of doses and wavelengths. Data on other PCS fibers is included that provide performance comparable to the ITT product. Comparison to several fluorsilicate fibers is also included

[en] While plastic-clad-silica (PCS) fiber shows the greatest radiation resistance, PCS fiber has been difficult to reliably connectorize for routine field operations. For this reason, all-glass fibers have been studied as an alternative to PCS. Based on available literature and some preliminary tests at Los Alamos, we have concentrated on fluorosilicate clad, step index, pure silica core fibers. This paper reviews recent laboratory data for these fibers relative to the PCS fibers. This paper also discusses use of a fiber (or any optical medium) on a Cerenkov radiation-to-light transducer. Since the radiation induces attenuation in the medium, the light output is not proportional to the radiation input. The nonlinearity introduced by this attenuation is calculated

[en] A new technique is discussed for enhancing the bandwidth and intensity of high frequency (> 1 GHz) analog, spectrally broad (40 nm) signals transmitted through one kilometer of optical fiber. The existing method for bandwidth enhancement of such a signal uses a very narrow (approx. 1 nm) filter between the fiber and detector to limit bandwidth degradation due to material dispersion. Using this method, most of the available optical intensity is rejected and lost. This new technique replaces the narrow-band filter with a spectral equalizer device which uses a reflection grating to disperse the input signal spectrum and direct it onto a linear array of fibers

[en] Fiber optic cables designed for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) have to withstand an unusually harsh environment. Cables have been manufactured under a 6 year old DOE specification that has been slightly modified as the cable requirements are better understood. In order to better understand the cable properties a unique capability has been established at the NTS. Instrumentation has been developed to characterize the transmission properties of 1 km of fiber optic cable placed under a controlled tensile load up to 1500 lbs. The properties measured are cable tension, cable elongation, induced attenuation, attenuation vs. location, fiber strain, bandwidth, and ambient temperature. Preforming these measurements on cables from the two qualified NTS fiber optic cable manufacturers, Siecor and Andrew Corp., led to a new set of specifications

[en] Optical fibers provide important advantages over coaxial cables for many data transmission applications. Some of these applications require that the fibers transmit data during a radiation pulse. Other applications utilize the fiber as a radiation-to-light transducer. In either case, radiation-induced luminescence and absorption must be understood. Most studies of radiation effects in fibers have emphasized time scales of interest in telecommunication systems, from the msec to hour range. Few studies have concentrated on response at times below 1 ⁺s. At Los Alamos, both laboratory electron accelerators and nuclear tests have been used as radiation sources to probe this early time region. The use of a fiber (or any optical medium) as a Cerenkov radiation-to-light transducer is discussed. Since the radiation induces attenuation in the medium, the light output is not proportional to the radiation input. The nonlinearity introduced by this attenuation is calculated

[en] A study has been carried out to characterize the optical gating properties of MCP image intensifiers. Emphasis is placed on parameters relevant to gating speed and correlations between the applied electrical and resultant optical gates

[en] A fiber optic system has been developed to measure single transient gamma rays. The gamma ray signature is converted to light by the Cerenkov process in a 20 cm length of radiation resistant optical fiber. The signal is transmitted over 1 km of optical fiber and detected by state-of-the-art, 175 MHz analog receivers. The receivers are based on silicon PIN detectors with transimpedance hybrid amplifiers and two stages of power amplification. The dc coupled receivers have less than 2% distortion up to 5 volts with less than 10 mV rms noise and a responsivity of 37,500 V/watt at 800 nm. A calibration system measures relative fiber to fiber transit time delays and system sensitivity. System bandwidth measurements utilized an electron linear accelerator (Linac) with a 50 ps electron pulse as the Cerenkov light source. The system will be described with supporting calibration and characterization data of parts of the system and the whole system. 5 references, 7 figures, 4 tables

[en] Some fundamental properties of 18-mm-diam gated proximity-focussed microchannel-plate (MCP) image intensifiers used as fast image shutters in the 1 to 10 ns range have been identified and studied. Light pulses (ca 5-ps-wide) from a modelocked dye laser optically sample the gated MCP. Shuttering is achieved by applying a forward-biasing electrical gate pulse to the quiescently reverse-biased photocathode-MCP interface. Variable delay (ca 30-ps jitter) between the gate pulse and the laser pulse permit tracing the MCP's optical response. Gating speeds, turn-on and turn-off patterns, the asymmetric spatial dependence of the MCP optical response, and resolution effects as functions of gate pulse width and photocathode-MCP bias have been characterized. Shutter times of greater than or equal to 750 ps and less than or equal to 5 1p/mm resolution with the MCP fully on were observed. Variations in the intensity profiles of the phosphor's spatial response for uniform photocathode illumination are measured with a calibrated silicon-intensified-target (SIT) focus projection, scan (FPS) television camera and a high-speed video digitizer while photomultipliers (PMTs) monitor the laser pulse and the phosphor's spatially integrated output intensities. The characterization system, gating and biasing circuits, and experimental results will be presented

[en] The application of low loss multimode optical fibers to nuclear diagnostics has been discussed in previous papers. Fiber requirements for this application differ substantially from those for normal communications use. The emphasis for nuclear measurements has been on development of high frequency analog fiber optic transmission line systems, which range from 100 MHz to > 500 MHz signals transmitted at 600 nm and 800 nm, respectively. Accordingly, specialized fiber characterization procedures over a wide spectral range have been developed. These techniques include measurement of material and modal dispersion, optical attenuation, and optical linearity. It is also important to know the prompt radiation response of optical fibers in nuclear diagnostics. Measurements of this type have been discussed in previous papers

[en] A system for high-frequency recording of plasma diagnostics has previously been reported. Substantial improvements have been made in the system response, dynamic range, and calibration of the system. Plastic-clad silica fiber is used as a radiation-to-light converter using the Cerenkov process. A spectral equalizer device is used to compensate for the material dispersion in the fiber, increasing the frequency response (approx. = 1 GHz-km) and the dynamic range (a factor of > 20 over a FWHM 1 nm, 50% transmitting interference filter). The calibration system uses a pulsed injection laser diode (< 100 ps FWHM) injected into the fiber at the radiation end of the fiber and detected by a microchannel plate photomultiplier tube on the recording end. The injection laser diode is triggered by a synchronous trigger delay unit, which also triggers a sampling or real time scope after as much as 10 μs delay with < 50 ps jitter. The system improvements are described in detail and the utility of these components in other plasma diagnostic systems is discussed