Abstract:The radiation-resistant performances of the polarization-maintaining fiber are improved by the photo-bleaching and low-temperature treatment method. After the high-dose irradiation of the precursor fiber is up to 1.0 kGy, the transmission loss will be increased significantly. The photo-bleaching treatment is carried out by a 980 nm laser for the irradiated fiber, and the transmission loss of the treated sample is almost the same as that of the pre-irradiated samples. However, the transmission spectra are first decreased and then increased under low dose irradiation conditions. For pre-irradiated samples treated with liquid nitrogen at low-temperature, the loss is decreased obviously. Moreover, the loss of treated fiber also is decreased first and then increased under the low-dose irradiation conditions. Finally, combining the low-temperature treatment with the photo-bleaching method, the transmission loss of the polarization-maintaining fiber can be effectively reduced, compared to the untreated fiber. Moreover, the transmission loss of the treated polarization-maintaining fiber is also reduced first and then increased under the condition of small dose irradiation. As a result, the method using the low-temperature treatment and photo-bleaching method has greatly improved the irradiation-resistant characteristics of polarization-maintaining fibers under the low-dose irradiation conditions.