Jones birefringence in twisted single-mode optical fibers

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Birefringence in optical fibers is crucial for polarization-dependent applications.
• Understanding how fiber properties like rigidity influence birefringence under torsion is essential for advanced optical systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the birefringence matrix of twisted optical fibers.
• To identify the fundamental optical effects contributing to fiber birefringence.
• To investigate the impact of fiber rigidity on birefringence changes during torsion.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a birefringence matrix for twisted fibers.
• Utilizing differential Jones calculus for optical analysis.
• Experimental measurement of output polarization states for commercial fibers under varying torsion.

Main Results:

• The differential matrix revealed three independent birefringence types: circular, linear at 0 degrees, and linear at 45 degrees (Jones birefringence).
• Commercial fibers with higher rigidity exhibited more pronounced birefringence changes when subjected to torsion.
• The study successfully modeled polarization changes in twisted erbium-doped fibers over a torsion range of 0 to 1440 degrees.

Conclusions:

• Differential Jones calculus effectively characterizes birefringence in twisted optical fibers.
• Fiber rigidity significantly impacts the magnitude of torsion-induced birefringence.
• The identified birefringence components provide a basis for designing polarization-maintaining or polarization-controlling fiber devices.