Proceedings Article | 7 December 1999
KEYWORDS: Radiation effects, Space operations, Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, Satellites, Polymers, Light emitting diodes, Ionizing radiation, Telecommunications, Imaging systems, Semiconductor lasers
Future space systems will be based on components evolving from the development and refinement of new and existing photonic materials. Optically based sensors, inertial guidance, tracking systems, communications, diagnostics, imaging and high speed optical processing are but a few of the applications expected to widely utilize photonic materials. Knowledge of the response of these materials to space environment effects such as spacecraft charging, orbital debris, atomic oxygen, ultraviolet irradiation, temperature and ionizing radiation will be paramount to ensuring successful space applications. The intent of this paper is to address the latter two environments via a succinct comparison of the known sensitivities of selected photonic materials to the temperature and ionizing radiation conditions found in space and enhanced space radiation environments. Delineation of the known temperature and radiation induced responses in LiNbO3, AlGaN, AlGaAs, TeO2, Si:Ge, and several organic polymers are presented. Photonic materials are realizing rapid transition into applications for many proposed space components and systems including: optical interconnects, optical gyros, waveguides and spatial light modulators, light emitting diodes, lasers, optical fibers and fiber optic amplifiers. Changes to material parameters such as electrooptic coefficients, absorption coefficients, polarization, conductivity, coupling coefficients, diffraction efficiencies, and other pertinent material properties are examined for thermooptic and radiation induced effects. Conclusions and recommendations provide the reader with an understanding of the limitations or attributes of material choices for specific applications.
