Rare earth-doped active fibers are essential and critical components for developing space-based applications such as space waste disposal, space laser communication, and laser radar. However, the space radiation environment can give rise to problems such as a sharp increase in the optical loss of rare-earth-doped active fibers. In addition, it can also cause a sharp decline in the output of laser slope efficiency or gain performance. Therefore, it is a necessity to enhance rare-earth-doped silica fiber’s radiation-resistance property.
Now, this problem might have been finally solved by a research team that has managed to prepare an optical fiber and radiation-resistant Er (erbium)-doped silica glass via co-doping the germanium (Ge) ions. Moreover, they also looked into the radiation resistance mechanism. The new research is a huge advancement for Fibre Optics Market as it provides a much-needed reference for the design and optimization of radiation toughening Er-doped silica fiber core glass composition, essential for future space EDFA (Erbium-Doped Fiber Applications).
The team prepared Geion co-doped silica fibers and glasses. In addition, they can identify the radiation-induced color centers with the help of induced absorption and EPSC (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy). After that, researchers proposed the formation and transformation process for Ge-related and aluminum (Al) color centers. In addition to Ge co-doping’s radiation-resistance mechanism. They also succinctly introduced the application’s space radiation environment requirements. While also stating the challenges surrounding the active fibers present with space. The result of X-ray radiation experiments of the study demonstrates that Ge co-doping can significantly better the gain performance of Er-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) following the radiation.