Berkshire Photonics recently delivered 50 custom fiber optic bundles to Oak Ridge National
Laboratory (ORNL) for installation in the Material Plasma Exposure Experiment (MPEX)
instrument, a linear plasma device currently under construction at ORNL.
Image courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory
When operational, the MPEX instrument will produce high-flux plasma that will be used to
study material survivability and plasma material interactions (PMI) under conditions found
inside fusion reactors.
The highly-specialized bundles built and delivered by Berkshire Photonics contain over 850
individual fiber cables. They will be used to gather light from multiple sections along the
length of the linear instrument. Spectral information gathered via these cables will allow
scientists to better understand the effects of extreme temperature and pressure on reactor
components.
Berkshire Photonics is honored to have been selected to design and deliver these key
components. They will further ORNL’s mission to develop knowledge and technologies for
an energy-secure future.
Further information about MPEX can be found at https://mpex.ornl.gov.