The Response of Optical Isolators in a Nuclear Radiation Environment

The effects of gamma total dose and gamma dose rate ex. posures on the operation of a state-of-the-art optical isolator were inves. tigated. The isolator was irradiated in both "on" and "off" states to determine upset in dose rate environments from 1.5 X 10
⁸
to 2.2 X 10
¹¹
rd/s (Si). High-state output voltage was subject to upset at all dose rates tested. Propagation delay times, and output voltage and currenl were measured for total dose exposures up to 5X 10
⁶
rd (Si). Of the parameters tested, only high-state output current and low-to-high pro. pagation delay times exceeded the manufacturer's specifications in the total dose environment.