Recent advances in radiation-hardened fiber-based technologies for space applications

International audience; In this topical review, the recent progress on radiation-hardened fiber-based technologies is detailed, focusing on examples for space applications. In the first part of the review, we introduce the operational principles of the various fiber-based technologies considered for use in radiation environments: passive optical fibers for data links, diagnostics, active optical fibers for amplifiers and laser sources as well as the different classes of point and distributed fiber sensors: gyroscopes, Bragg gratings, Rayleigh, Raman or Brillouin-based distributed sensors. Second, we describe the state of the art regarding our knowledge of radiation effects on the performance of these devices, from the microscopic effects observed in the amorphous silica glass used to design fiber cores and cladding, to the macroscopic response of fiber-based devices and systems. Third, we present the recent advances regarding the hardening (improvement of the radiation tolerance) of these technologies acting on the material, device or system levels. From the review, the potential of fiber-based technologies for operation in radiation environments is demonstrated and the future challenges to be overcome in the coming years are presented

The SuperCam Instrument Suite on the Mars 2020 Rover: Science Objectives and Mast-Unit Description

On the NASA 2020 rover mission to Jezero crater, the remote determination of the texture, mineralogy and chemistry of rocks is essential to quickly and thoroughly characterize an area and to optimize the selection of samples for return to Earth. As part of the Perseverance payload, SuperCam is a suite of five techniques that provide critical and complementary observations via Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Time-Resolved Raman and Luminescence (TRR/L), visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VISIR), high-resolution color imaging (RMI), and acoustic recording (MIC). SuperCam operates at remote distances, primarily 2-7 m, while providing data at sub-mm to mm scales. We report on SuperCam's science objectives in the context of the Mars 2020 mission goals and ways the different techniques can address these questions. The instrument is made up of three separate subsystems: the Mast Unit is designed and built in France; the Body Unit is provided by the United States; the calibration target holder is contributed by Spain, and the targets themselves by the entire science team. This publication focuses on the design, development, and tests of the Mast Unit; companion papers describe the other units. The goal of this work is to provide an understanding of the technical choices made, the constraints that were imposed, and ultimately the validated performance of the flight model as it leaves Earth, and it will serve as the foundation for Mars operations and future processing of the data.In France was provided by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Human resources were provided in part by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and universities. Funding was provided in the US by NASA's Mars Exploration Program. Some funding of data analyses at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was provided by laboratory-directed research and development funds

Approche méthodologique de l'impact de l'environnement radiatif spatial sur les propriétés intrinsèques d'une diode laser

The radiation matter interaction is well known and documented. However, studies concerning the impact of a radiative environment on laser diodes are rare, and usually consider the device as a black box, and only their extrinsic properties are studied. We propose to study laser diodes using a novel methodology, based on the analysis of both the optical, the electrical, and the dynamic properties of the laser diode. We show that this methodology enables to deduce the intrinsic parameters of the studied devices. This methodology is afterwards applied to the study of the space environment impact on laser diodes emitting at 852 nm, which could be potentially used for atom cooling in embedded caesium atomic clocks. Such systems could be embedded within Pharao and Galileo spatial programs. Therefore assessing their hardness to the radiative space environment is crucial. To further generalise this methodology, we apply it to advanced laser diodes based on tensile strained GaInNAs/InP and on InAs quantum dash laser diodes, both emitting at 1.55 µm.L'interaction rayonnement matière est bien connue et documentée. A contrario, les études portant sur l'influence d'un environnement radiatif sur les diodes laser sont rares, et considèrent souvent le composant comme une boîte noire dont seules les propriétés extrinsèques sont étudiées. Nous proposons une méthodologie originale d'étude des diodes laser, basée sur l'analyse des propriétés optiques, électriques, dynamiques des composants. Nous montrons que ce type d'étude permet de remonter aux grandeurs physiques intrinsèques des composants étudiés. Cette méthodologie est ensuite appliquée à l'étude de l'impact d'un environnement radiatif spatial sur des diodes laser émettant à 852 nm destinées à être utilisées pour le refroidissement d'atome de césium dans des dispositifs embarqués. Pour généraliser la méthode utilisée, nous avons étendu nos essais à des diodes laser avancées à base d'alliages de GaInNAs sur InP en tension et de diodes laser à ilots quantiques InAs sur InP

Approche méthodologique de l'impact de l'environnement radiatif spatial sur les propriétés intrinsèques d'une diode laser

TOULOUSE3-BU Sciences (315552104) / SudocSudocFranceF

New Approach for the Prediction of CCD Dark Current Distribution in a Space Radiation Environment

International audienceCommercial Off-The-Shelf Charge Coupled Devices were irradiated with protons at energies ranging from 17 MeV to 200 MeV. Evolution of the dark current distribution during irradiation is discussed. A general method is presented to predict the increase of both mean dark current and associated non-uniformity after a monoenergetic proton irradiation. The results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental outputs. The model is then used to assess the dark signal degradation of a device exposed to a multienergetic proton beam. Again, the predictions are shown to be consistent with the experimental data. This makes possible the assessment of the dark signal distribution of a device exposed to a real space environment

New Approach for the Prediction of CCD Dark Current Distribution in a Space Radiation Environment

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Optimized radiation-hardened erbium doped fiber amplifiers for long space missions

International audienceIn this work, we developed and exploited simulation tools to optimize the performances of rare earth doped fiber amplifiers (REDFAs) for space missions. To describe these systems, a state-of-the-art model based on the rate equations and the particle swarm optimization technique is developed in which we also consider the main radiation effect on REDFA: the radiation induced attenuation (RIA). After the validation of this tool set by confrontation between theoretical and experimental results, we investigate how the deleterious radiation effects on the amplifier performance can be mitigated following adequate strategies to conceive the REDFA architecture. The tool set was validated by comparing the calculated Erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) gain degradation under X-rays at ∼300 krad(SiO2) with the corresponding experimental results. Two versions of the same fibers were used in this work, a standard optical fiber and a radiation hardened fiber, obtained by loading the previous fiber with hydrogen gas. Based on these fibers, standard and radiation hardened EDFAs were manufactured and tested in different operating configurations, and the obtained data were compared with simulation data done considering the same EDFA structure and fiber properties. This comparison reveals a good agreement between simulated gain and experimental data (<10% as the maximum error for the highest doses). Compared to our previous results obtained on Er/Yb-amplifiers, these results reveal the importance of the photo-bleaching mechanism competing with the RIA that cannot be neglected for the modeling of the radiation-induced gain degradation of EDFAs. This implies to measure in representative conditions the RIA at the pump and signal wavelengths that are used as input parameters for the simulation. The validated numerical codes have then been used to evaluate the potential of some EDFA architecture evolutions in the amplifier performance during the space mission. Optimization of both the fiber length and the EDFA pumping scheme allows us to strongly reduce its radiation vulnerability in terms of gain. The presented approach is a complementary and effective tool for hardening by device techniques and opens new perspectives for the applications of REDFAs and lasers in harsh environments

Optimization of rare-earth-doped amplifiers for space mission through a hardening-by-system strategy

International audienceRare-earth doped optical fibers (REDF, Er or Er/Yb-doped) are a key component in optical laser sources (REDFS) and amplifiers (REDFA). The high performances of these fiber-based systems made them as promising solution part of gyroscopes, telecommunication systems… However, REDFs are very sensitive to space radiations, so their degradation limits their integration in long term space missions. To overcome this issue, several studies were carried out and some innovations at the component level were proposed by our group such as the Cerium co-doping or the hydrogen loading of the REDF. More recently we initiated an original coupled simulation/experiment approach to improve the REDFA performances under irradiation by acting at the system level and not only at the component itself. This procedure optimizes the amplifier properties (gain, noise figure) under irradiation through simulation. The optimization of the system is ensured using a PSO (Particle Swarm optimization) algorithm. Using some experimental inputs, such as the Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA) measurements and the spectroscopic features of the fiber, we demonstrate its efficiency to reproduce the amplifier degradation when exposed to radiations in various experimental configurations. This was done by comparing the obtained simulation results to those of dedicated experiments performed on various REDFA architectures. Our results reveal a good agreement between simulations and experimental data (with <2% error). Finally, exploiting the validated codes, we optimized the REDFA design in order to get the best performances during the space mission and not on-ground only

Evaluation of the radiation effect on the rare-earth spectroscopic parameters for the optical amplifier simulation in space environment

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