Polarization-maintaining fibers and their applications are reviewed. The classification of high-birefringent fibers and low-birefringent fibers and their fabrication methods and characteristics are discussed in Section II. Analytical methods and numerical methods for fiber design on the birefringence are presented in Section III. Degradation factors of polarization maintenance expressed as crosstalk or mode-coupling parameters caused by internal origins such as structural imperfections, wavelength, and nonlinear effects, and by external origins such as temperature fluctuations, mechanical perturbations, and electromagnetic effects, are discussed in Section IV. Characterization methods on beat length, mode coupling, stress distribution, and mechanical strength are presented in Section V. Applications to the fiber devices and nonlinear effects, and splicing methods for the polarization-maintaining fibers are described in Sections VI and VII.

Polarization-maintaining fibers and their applications

A transmission line is provided, at least a portion of the wave energy transmitting part of the line being made of a dielectric material shaped to create a physical condition which preserves the deflected wave surface of the electromagnetic wave along the portion of the transmission line. The physical condition for preserving the deflected wave surface is formed by providing at least one linear portion which retards the speed of energy transmission so as to prevent the rotation of the electric field surface of the electromagnetic wave. The wave energy transmitting portion composed of dielectric material is preferably made to have an oval cross-section in which the ratio between the major axis and the minor axis has a value not lower than 4/3. Alternatively, the wave energy transmitting portion can be made to have a rectangular cross-section. The objects of the invention can also be attained by increasing the density of a portion of the line along its length or by applying a local stress over the entire length of the line.

Transmission line of unsintered PTFE having sintered high density portions

Polarization-maintaining optical fibers are usually made by inducing a large anisotropic thermal stress in the core so that it appears highly birefringent. A simple analytic solution has been found for the birefringence in terms of the cross-sectional distribution of the high-expansion material used to create the thermal stress. The analysis is able to predict optimal structures which efficiently utilize the available stress and thus maximize the birefringence. It is shown that the optimum structure has a cross-sectional geometry resembling a bow-tie. Design rules are given whereby the dimensions may be chosen and these are verified in a simple experiment.

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Analytic solution for the birefringence produced by thermal stress in polarization-maintaining optical fibers

The coupling properties of multi-core fibers are analyzed using the multipole method and coupled mode theory in order to gain insights into the performance of image fibers that are commonly used in flexible endoscopes. It is explained that coherent fiber bundles with high core density are able to transport images because nonuniformity in the pixel size reduces the inter-core coupling that causes crosstalk. The wavelength, average core size and separation, and degree of core size variation determine the strength of coupling between adjacent cores, such that fibers with a smaller core size and separation at longer wavelengths require more nonuniformity in order for reliable image transmission. Guidelines are given for assessing the performance of image fibers in a particular system.

Numerical analysis of light propagation in image fibers or coherent fiber bundles

A simple first-order perturbation approach to study the propagation characteristics of highly elliptical core waveguides is presented. The unperturbed index profile is taken to be a pseudo-rectangular core waveguide for which exact scalar wave modes are known. The method is used to obtain the various propagation characteristics of elliptical core, single mode waveguides. Results for various propagation characteristics obtained by the present analysis agree very well with those reported by other authors obtained by accurate numerical techniques.

Propagation characteristics of highly elliptical core optical waveguides: a perturbation approach

The optimum waveguide structure for linearly single polarization fibers, which satisfies the large modal birefringence and the zero polarization mode dispersion simultaneously, has been investigated. The basic waveguide structure is the single-mode optical fiber that has an elliptical core and stress-applying parts with a different expansion coefficient from that of the cladding. Waveguide parameters, such as index difference, core ellipticity, and cutoff wavelength, are first determined to obtain highly birefringent fibers with B = 1 \times 10^{-5} or B = 5 \times 10^{-5} . The structure of the stress-applying parts that provides zero polarization mode dispersion is then determined.

Linearly single polarization fibers with zero polarization mode dispersion

The optimum waveguide structure for linearly single polarization fibers, which satisfies the large modal birefringence and the zero polarization mode dispersion simultaneously, has been investigated. The basic waveguide structure is the single-mode optical fiber that has an elliptical core and stress-applying parts with a different expansion coefficient from that of the cladding. Waveguide parameters, such as index difference, core ellipticity, and cutoff wavelength, are first determined to obtain highly birefringent fibers with B = 1 X 10/sup -5/ or B = 5 X 10/sup -5/. The structure of the stress-applying parts that provides zero polarization mode dispersion is then determined.

Y. Sasaki

Papers

Linearly single polarization fibers with zero polarization mode dispersion

Linearly Single Polarization Fibers with Zero Polarization Mode Dispersion