Radiation effects on Yb- and Er/Yb-doped optical fibers: A micro-luminescence study

The integration of rare-earth doped optical fibers as part of fiber-based systems in space implies the development of waveguides tolerant to the radiation levels associated with the space missions. Erbium (Er)- or Ytterbium/Erbium (Yb/Er)-doped fibers have been shown to be very sensitive to ionizing radiations. Radiations lead to a strong increase of the fiber attenuation around the pump and amplified signal wavelengths. In this paper, we investigate by confocal luminescence microscopy the radiation-induced spectroscopic changes on prototype Yb- or Yb/Er-doped optical fibers. The set of tested fibers allows us to provide new insights into the relative influence of the P, Al doping on the radiation responses of their silica-based host matrix and on the transitions between the energy states of rare-earth ions.