A study of the polarization properties of a rectangular polarization-maintaining fiber

An experimental study of the polarization properties of a rectangular polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber is reported. The extinction ratio is measured at 1320 nm for lengths of 20, 40, 100, 310, and 804 m. The length dependence of the extinction ratio is demonstrated to be in excellent agreement with the predictions of a model derived from random coupling theory. This agreement is due to the careful winding and packaging of the rectangular PM fiber, whereby minimal external perturbations are introduced. This is facilitated by the rectangular geometry of the fiber. The polarization-holding parameter is 2.08+or-0.09*10/sup -6/ m/sup -1/.<
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