Influence of drawing conditions on radiation-induced attenuation of pure-silica-core fibers in the near-IR range

Three single-mode fibers have been drawn from each of four MCVD-made pure-silica-core F-doped-silica-cladding preforms, the drawing parameters (temperature, speed, and tension) being varied among the fibers in a controlled fashion. The initial optical loss spectra in the range 200-1700 nm as well as radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) spectra in the near-IR range under γ-irradiation to 82 kGy (7.6 Gy/s) are measured in the fibers. RIA is found to increase significantly with increasing the drawing temperature and to increase much less with increasing the speed and tension. The mechanism of the strong drawing temperature effect on RIA is argued to be associated with a rise in the fiber silica fictive temperature, which, in turn, enhances the concentration of strain-assisted radiation-induced self-trapped holes.