Erbium-doped optical fibre with enhanced radiation resistance for superluminescent fibre sources

This paper presents a study of the properties of erbium-doped optical fibres with enhanced gamma-ray resistance at a high dose rate. The fibres have a silica core containing different dopants. The gamma-ray resistance of the fibres is due to additional doping of their core with cerium and germanium ions, as well as to aluminium concentration optimisation. We assess the effect of fibre composition on the radiation-induced loss at a wavelength of 1310 nm and the output power and weighted average wavelength of superluminescent fibre sources based on erbium-doped fibre under pulsed gamma irradiation (dose per pulse, ∼ 20 Gy). The fibre doped with aluminium, germanium and cerium oxides is shown to be optimal for use in gamma-ray-resistant broadband superluminescent fibre sources.