Combined effect of radiation and temperature: towards optical fibers suited to distributed sensing in extreme radiation environments

Combined effect of radiation and temperature on the response of polyimide coated radiation hardened single-mode fibers is investigated in the context of distributed monitoring of large nuclear infrastructures. Radiation induced attenuation (RIA) is evaluated for doses ranging from 1 to 10 MGy(SiO2) and temperatures up to ∼250 °C. Measurements of fiber tensile strength are performed to better estimate conditions of safe operation before and after exposure to the severe environment. Finally, preliminary results obtained for a new optical fiber designed from an alternative preform fabrication process, Surface Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition are presented. This fiber exhibits 1310 nm RIA below 7 dB/km after a 1 MGy(SiO2) dose paving the way toward optical fibers suited to extreme radiation environments.