Optical Fibers for Nuclear Environments

In this webinar hosted by the Optical Material Studies Technical Group, Nirmala Kandadai will present the advantages, challenges, and novel techniques of using optical fiber sensors inside a nuclear reactor. Nuclear reactors create a harsh environment for fuel and structural components as they operate at high temperatures and high irradiation and have corrosive components. Precise monitoring of the reactor's environment is an ever-present need for the long-term operation and stability of the reactor. However, radiation hardness and survivability at high temperatures are two critical requirements of any technology proposed for monitoring temperature in such harsh environments.

Optical sensors have the advantage of being immune to electromagnetic radiation and are perfectly suited for the nuclear environment. Due to their small size, these sensors can easily be embedded within structures and components, thereby providing crucial data regarding their performance and structural integrity. However, commercial silica-based optical sensors encounter radiation-induced attenuation, emission, and contraction and require novel engineering techniques to improve their signal reliability.

Subject Matter Level: Intermediate - Assumes basic knowledge of the topic

What You Will Learn:
• How radiation effects modify optical fiber sensing
• How optical engineering can be used to over come those issues

Who Should Attend: 
• Nuclear material scientist
• Optical fiber engineers
• Photonics material scientists

About the Presenter: Nirmala Kandadai from Oregon State University

Nirmala Kandadai is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Oregon State University. She completed her Ph.D at The University of Texas at Austin in 2012 and was a laser scientist at National Energetics and led her team in designing and building high-power ultrafast laser systems, including the front end of a 10 PW laser system for the European Union’s Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines facility (ELI-Beamlines). She was in Boise as a research assistant professor in 2016 and as a tenure-track assistant professor since 2019. She was awarded Idaho accomplished under 40 award in 2022 for her work in promoting young girls and women in STEM. She moved to Oregon State in 2022 as an assistant professor. At Oregon State, she is the director of the Fiber Optics Laser and Integrated Research Lab. Her current research work includes laser-matter interactions, sensors for extreme environments and infrared thermography.