Abstract

During the past few years, it has been recognized that optical waveguides may be vulnerable to nuclear radiation, especially because of the long optical path length encountered in typical fiber optic systems. In general, high purity silica and to a lesser extent doped silica tend to be more radiation resistant than composite silicate glasses. Polymer clad silica core fibers, in particular, appear attractive for use in high radiation environments. However, complete testing and evaluation of these fibers has not previously been performed.

© 1977 Optical Society of America