MCVD method for manufacturing polarization-maintaining and radiation resistant optical fiber with germanosilicate elliptical core

Abstract The aim of this work was to develop a fabrication process of single-mode polarization-maintaining germanosilicate optical fibers with elliptical core (GOFEC) doped with 20 mol % GeO2. The fiber preform was fabricated by MCVD method. The low-oxygen central piece of the core in the preform was removed by high-temperature chemical gas-phase etching. The influence of γ-radiation with a dose rate of 1 Gy/s on the optical losses in GOFEC at a wavelength of 1550 nm and at 25°C and −60°C were investigated. Their radiation resistance at −60°C is proved to surpass that of the existing analogous fibers. It has been found that the radiation-induced attenuation in such highly doped GeO2 single-mode fibers is higher than that in multimode fibers. In contrast to multimode fibers, radiation resistance in single-mode fibers depends on the material of the core and cladding. As to the radiation resistance, these GOFEC are comparable with the fiber of PANDA type with a pure silica glass core.