In this paper, we present a comparative experimental and theoretical study on gamma radiation sensitivity of Long Period Gratings (LPGs), fabricated by electric arc discharge technique, as monitored in three single mode optical fibers supplied by different manufacturers. A real-time measurement of LPGs’ wavelength shift was performed until a total dose of 35 kGy was reached, with average dose rate of 0.18 kGy/h, the irradiation being done at room temperature. In one case, a maximum radiation sensitivity of 1.34 nm/kGy was recorded for doses up to 0.5 kGy. Moreover, by combining experimental results with numerical simulations, it was found that changes occurred in the core refractive index of the irradiated optical fibers up to 2.5 ∙ 10⁻⁵. The increase of the core thermo-optic coefficient up to 1.5 ∙ 10⁻⁸/°C was observed as well.

This work presents a comparative study regarding the effects of gamma radiation on standard and different radiation hardened optical fibers, by means of arc-induced long period gratings (LPGs) written in these fibers. In particular, the resonance wavelength shift (Δλ _res ) of LPG attenuation bands and the attenuation in the fiber transmitted optical power (ΔP) have been comparatively explored during irradiation. Different responses were observed depending on the fiber model. The Ge-doped fiber exhibits significant changes of both resonance wavelength and optical transmission loss, whereas the pure silica core fiber is mostly insensitive to radiation (Δλ _res and ΔP keep almost close to zero). Surprisingly, the radiation resistant fiber, with doped core, exhibits significant resonance shift even if with trivial power losses. In addition, by combining these results with numerical modeling of LPGs, we were able to estimate the radiation effects on the optical fibers under investigation, in terms of average refractive index change. These results can be useful for the application of such devices in radiation environments, i.e., for the development of both radiation sensitive and radiation hardened sensors.