Master Internship - Investigation of Radiation-Induced Defects in Glasses and Optical Fibers Using Multi-Spectroscopic Techniques
Host Laboratory: Laboratoire Hubert Curien (UMR CNRS 5516) – MOPERE Group
Duration: 6 months (February 2026 – July 2026)
Supervision: MOPERE Group, Laboratoire Hubert Curien, Saint-Étienne, France
Context: The MOPERE group of the Laboratoire Hubert Curien (Université Jean Monnet, Saint-Étienne) focuses on the development and study of optical fibers and materials designed for operation in harsh and radiation environments, such as those encountered in the nuclear, space, and defense industries. Understanding the radiation-induced degradation mechanisms in optical materials is crucial for improving their long-term performance. Under ionizing radiation, glasses and fibers undergo the formation of point defects at the atomic scale, leading to Radiation-Induced Attenuation (RIA) and degradation of their optical properties. This internship aims to investigate these microscopic phenomena using a multi-spectroscopic approach, combining Raman confocal microscopy, luminescence, cathodoluminescence, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The ultimate goal is to establish correlations between the atomic-scale defect structures and the macroscopic optical losses observed under irradiation.
Objectives: The goal of the internship is to characterize and understand the nature of radiation-induced defects in various glass and fiber compositions. By combining several complementary spectroscopic techniques, the student will study the evolution of defect populations before and after irradiation and relate them to optical degradation mechanisms measured in real time during irradiation tests.
Contact:
- Pr. Aziz Boukenter: aziz.boukenter @ univ-st-etienne.fr (sylvain.girard @ univ-st-etienne.fr)
Download the detailed offer: «MasterThesis#3-PointDefectsStudy.pdf» (137.8 Ko)