Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Optical Study of Radiation-Induced Defect Centers in Doped Silica Glasses

Abstract

ABSTRACTGamma- and UV-induced defect centers in germanium and fluorine doped silica have been studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The complex spectrum at g≃2 in γ-irradiated germanium doped glass corresponds to a superposition of resonances from several germanium E′-centers. In UV-irradiated samples, however, the EPR spectrum is dominated by only one type of germanium E′-centers. Significant spectral simplification of γ-irradiated germanium doped silica can be achieved by heating or broadband photoirradiation. Similar results are observed in multimode germanium doped core optical fibers. UV-induced optical loss spectra in the 0.5–1.5 μm wavelength range were also measured in these core fibers as well as the growth kinetics of the UL-induced absorption. Gamma-irradiation of fluorine doped silica generated two different types of silicon E′-centers, Ea1. At lower radiation dose one sees a mixture of Ea1 and Ea2, but at higher radiation dose Ea2 dominates. A spectrum dominated by the Ea2 variant is also observed in LW-irradiated samples and in photobleached low gamma dose samples.