Radiation behavior of pure silica core optical fibers

Hard Clad Silica optical fibers, drawn from preforms produced by different techniques and vendors, have been exposed to pulsed electron beam radiation to 10 krad, using the NATO/FOTP-49 protocol. The induced attenuation and subsequent recovery are reported for ambient and low temperatures. These results are compared with ones where samples from these same fiber lots have been exposed to continuous gamma-radiation to 10 krad. Implications for mechanisms of defect growth and recovery will be presented.