Formation mechanisms of precursors of radiation-induced color centers during fabrication of silica optical fiber preform

Samples in the form of transverse slices of rods and optical fiber preforms made from the high-hydroxyl KU-1 and low-hydroxyl KS-4V silica by the plasma outside deposition (POD) method are gamma-irradiated to a dose of similar to 1 MGy (SiO(2)). Next, the radial dependences of the radiation-induced nonbridging oxygen hole center (NBOHC) and E'-center (three-coordinated silicon) in the samples are constructed by measuring the amplitudes of their 4.8 and 5.8 eV absorption bands, respectively. Based on the analysis of these radial dependences and considering the temperature and duration of the preirradiation heat treatment of the rods and preforms at the POD-installation, we determine the ratio of the oscillator strengths of the above bands and the microscopic thermoinduced processes occurring during preform fabrication and producing precursors of the radiation-induced NBOHC and E'-center. These processes are found to be associated with the escape of either H(2) or H(2)O from neighboring hydroxyl groups, and, therefore, can occur in high-hydroxyl silica only. It is concluded that enhancement of the radiation resistance of high-hydroxyl silica optical fibers requires decreasing the temperature and duration of the preform fabrication process, in particular, changing from the POD-technology to the low-temperature plasmachemical vapor deposition (PCVD) or surface PCVD (SPCVD)-technology. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3561435]