Experimental investigation of single-mode single-polarization optical fiber

An experimental study of the polarization properties of single-mode optical fibers of differential polarization-mode attenuation is presented. The output state of polarization was measured at various input polarization orientations and wavelengths. The transition from a two-polarization to a single-polarization regime of operation was investigated. Also, the sensitivity to axial strain was studied at the different wavelengths. The polarization dispersion of the fiber was assessed by measuring the visibility of the polarization interference fringes. Experimental results confirm a previous theoretical study based on Müller-Stokes matrix formalism. The experiments carried out suggest useful applications of such fibers for the development of polarimetric sensors.