Gamma irradiation effect on Rayleigh scattering in low water peak single-mode optical fibers

The Rayleigh scattering loss in low water peak single-mode optical fibers under varying Gamma rays irradiation has been investigated. We observed that the Rayleigh scattering coefficient (CR) of the fiber is almost linearly increased with the increase of Gamma irradiation in the low-dose range (< 500 Gy). Based on the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra analysis, we confirmed that the Rayleigh scattering mainly results from the irradiation-induced defect centers associated with electron transfer or charge density redistribution around Ge and O atoms. This work provides a new interpretation of the optical loss and reveals a new mechanism on irradiation influence on Rayleigh scattering.