Increased attenuation in optical fibres caused by diffusion of molecular hydrogen at room temperature

A new set of absorption peaks has been observed at wave-lengths between 1.5 and 2.5 ?m in silica-based optical fibres which have been exposed to hydrogen at room temperature. The largest peak, at 2.42 ?m, is identified as being due to the fundamental molecular hydrogen vibrational absorption. Other peaks in the set are related to the fundamental with the same energy shifts as previously reported for the first overtone spectrum. The implications of both sets of peaks are quantified for the operating windows of optical fibre systems at 1.3 and 1.55 ?m.