Silica optical fiber behavior under X-rays and microwaves

Silica optical fibers that were developed for telecommunication networks are now being used for sensors and smart structures. Their reliability and expected lifetime has appeared as a major concern. A series of experiments were implemented in order to assess aging fiber under microwave and X-ray radiation and under mechanical stress. Optical fibers were aged in water under controlled stress overlapping microwave energy for different durations or to X-ray radiation for different voltages, currents and exposure times. Fiber samples were wound onto different diameter mandrels applying, consequently, a non-uniform tensile and compression stress in function with the fiber diameter. In certain cases and testing conditions, a comparison with received fibers revealed an increase in fiber strength with a generally mono-modal defect distribution on the fiber surface.