Characterization of radiation-resistant multimode optical fibers for large-scale procurement

This article presents the results of a comprehensive characterization of special radiation-resistant multimode optical fibers, including complementary irradiation tests during mass production. Radiation-induced attenuation measurements were carried out at different wavelengths and the attenuation behavior studied with varying the dose rate. Following a preliminary qualification performed upstream the production, CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, validated the procurement of 500 km of fiber for installation in the accelerator complex and experiments. A strict quality assurance plan, including quality control and irradiation tests, was implemented for monitoring the characteristics of the supplied optical fibers all along the production process. The results show resistance to radiations consistently below 60 dB/km for a total dose of 10 kGy and a dose rate of 0.2 Gy/s and stable optical performance over hundreds of fiber spools produced during a 6-year period.