In order to analyze the effect of wavelength-dependent radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) on the mean trans- mission wavelength in optical fiber and the scale factor of interferometric fiber optic gyroscopes (IFOGs), three types of polarization-maintaining (PM) fibers are tested by using a 60 Co γ-radiation source. The observed different mean wave- length shift (MWS) behaviors for different fibers are interpreted by color-center theory involving dose rate-dependent absorption bands in ultraviolet and visible ranges and total dose-dependent near-infrared absorption bands. To evaluate the mean wavelength variation in a fiber coil and the induced scale factor change for space-borne IFOGs under low radiation doses in a space environment, the influence of dose rate on the mean wavelength is investigated by testing four germanium (Ge) doped fibers and two germanium-phosphorus (Ge-P) codoped fibers irradiated at different dose rates. Experimental results indicate that the Ge-doped fibers show the least mean wavelength shift during irradiation and their mean wavelength of optical signal transmission in fibers will shift to a shorter wavelength in a low-dose-rate radiation environment. Finally, the change in the scale factor of IFOG resulting from the mean wavelength shift is estimated and tested, and it is found that the significant radiation-induced scale factor variation must be considered during the design of space-borne IFOGs.
In order to analyze the effect of wavelength-dependent radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) on the mean trans- mission wavelength in optical fiber and the scale factor of interferometric fiber optic gyroscopes (IFOGs), three types of polarization-maintaining (PM) fibers are tested by using a 60Co γ-radiation source. The observed different mean wave- length shift (MWS) behaviors for different fibers are interpreted by color-center theory involving dose rate-dependent absorption bands in ultraviolet and visible ranges and total dose-dependent near-infrared absorption bands. To evaluate the mean wavelength variation in a fiber coil and the induced scale factor change for space-borne IFOGs under low radiation doses in a space environment, the influence of dose rate on the mean wavelength is investigated by testing four germanium (Ge) doped fibers and two germanium-phosphorus (Ge-P) codoped fibers irradiated at different dose rates. Experimental results indicate that the Ge-doped fibers show the least mean wavelength shift during irradiation and their mean wavelength of optical signal transmission in fibers will shift to a shorter wavelength in a low-dose-rate radiation environment. Finally, the change in the scale factor of IFOG resulting from the mean wavelength shift is estimated and tested, and it is found that the significant radiation-induced scale factor variation must be considered during the design of space-borne IFOGs.