Photosensitivity of optical fibres doped with different impurities

Photosensitivities of hydrogen-loaded silica fibres doped with germanium, phosphorus, antimony, and aluminium are estimated and compared. It is shown that although all the fibres can be pre-exposed, the degree of this effect is noticeably different for different fibres because the induction of the refractive index is determined by a combined contribution from a one-step photochemical reaction and a two-step reaction responsible for pre-exposure. One-step reactions dominate in more photosensitive optical fibres, while two-step reactions dominate in less photosensitive fibres.