6-MeV Electron Exposure Effects on OFDR-Based Distributed Fiber-Based Sensors

The impact of exposing an optical fiber to 6-MeV electrons on the performances of optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) distributed sensors is investigated. Six different types of optical fibers with different core compositions and coatings have been tested: four fibers are metal coated (copper, gold, or aluminum) for high-temperature (> 300 degrees C) operations while the two others have telecom-grade acrylate coatings for operation below 80 degrees C. The fiber Rayleigh signature used to perform the OFDR sensing remains almost unaffected after an electron exposure. Indeed, the measured radiation-induced temperature errors are lower than about 3 degrees C, close to the setup uncertainties, when the OFDR operates as a temperature sensor. (authors)