Power over Fiber system utilizing a 105 μm core fiber for power and a single-mode fiber for data transmission in high-gamma radiation environments

Abstract

We report on the properties of the Power over Fiber (PoF) system for harsh-environment applications. We investigate the feasibility of using a PoF system in which optical fibers used for power and data transmission are exposed to gamma radiation. We used High-Power Laser Sources (HPLS) and Photovoltaic Power Converters (PPCs) operating at 808 nm, 976 nm, 1060 nm, 1470 nm, and 1550 nm. We used a large-core multimode optical fiber (105 μm core diameter) for optical power transmission and a single-mode optical fiber for data transmission at 1310 nm. The optical fibers were exposed to gamma radiation from a⁶⁰Co source. A cable with multimode optical fiber with a core diameter of 105 μm was exposed to a total gamma-ray dose of 248 ± 28 kGy at a dose rate of 0.95 kGy/h, and a single-mode optical fiber for data transmission was exposed to a total gamma-ray dose of 188 ± 21 kGy at a dose rate of 0.72 kGy/h. We demonstrated power transmission over a distance of 285 m, and our results show that transmission at 1060 nm while the optical fiber is irradiated with gamma rays is suitable for a PoF system in harsh-environment applications.