Monitoring of JUICE Optical Fibers
- Posted by Juan Barbero
- On July 5, 2021
- 0
Some pieces of fibers and mating connectors were stabilized to one temperature while others were at other values. The temperature ranges for each chamber were: -190ºC to 120ºC for one chamber, -160ºC to 100ºC for the second one and -80ºC to +45ºC for the third one. The light source used for the test was developed by the institute of experimental physics at TUG Graz using exactly the same lasers that will be used for JUICE. The stability of the setup was assured using a reference path.
In this success case we present a complex thermal cycling test for the fibers that are going to be used in the real scenario for the magnetometer of the JUICE Mission. You can find a complete explanation about:
- Test Setup
- Test results
- 400µm MM Fibres test.
- 50µm MM Fibres test.
- Numerical results
- Conclusion
Monitoring of JUICE Optical Fibers During Thermal Cycles Keeping the Optical Connectors at Different Stable Cryogenic Temperatures in 3-Chambers Setup
Two types of multimode fibers (50µm and 400µm) will be used for the scalar sensor of the JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer program) magnetometer. This optical sensor will be placed at the end of a boom. These multimode fibers will transmit modulated laser light through the sensor, the light source, and the detector electronics being located within the spaceship.
The fibers will be exposed to shallow temperatures, while the optical connectors will be more protected. The simulation of the optical budget did not allow to assure that the optical power transmitted through the fibers would be OK within the entire thermal range. A 3-chambers thermal cycling test was proposed to thermally cycle in a synchronized way to different temperature plateaus, both high and low while monitoring the transmitted optical power.
Juan Barbero is also part of the ESA Photonic Working Group, providing inputs and support regarding new photonics technologies proposed for space application.
- Characterization of Photodiodes at cryogenic temperatures for Mars Missions - July 20, 2021
- Monitoring of JUICE Optical Fibers - July 5, 2021