Radiation-Induced Attenuation in Silica Optical Fibers Fabricated in High O2 Excess Conditions

Radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) in undoped-silica-core optical fibers, of which the preform cores are synthesized in high O
₂
excess conditions in the vapor–gas mixture (“high oxygen excess fibers, HOE-fibers”), is investigated in the spectral range 1.1–1.7 μm under γ-irradiation from a
⁶⁰
Co-source. The O
₂
excess degree, the F content in the cladding, the drawing speed, and tension are varied among the fibers. RIA is found to strongly depend on the balance between the O
₂
excess degree in the core and the F content in the cladding and also on the fiber drawing tension. RIA anticipated in HOE-fibers with optimized O
₂
excess and a practicably low drawing tension at
$\lambda = 1.55$
μm is estimated to be a few times lower than that in the commercial radiation-resistant F-doped-silica-core fibers.