TABLE OF CONTENTS Chris Emslie
Fibercore Ltd., Hampshire, England
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a practical, technical introduction to the field of polarization maintaining (PM) fiber that will equip the reader with the basic knowledge and understanding necessary to use or specify this category of specialty fiber.
The chapter begins by explaining how PM fibers work and provides brief examples of their various applications in sensing, medicine, and telecommunications, before describing the main fiber designs and the fabrication techniques used to produce them. The relatively new technology of holey or microstructure fibers is addressed briefly, as is one of PM fiber s more exotic cousins, polarizing fiber. The second half of the chapter moves into the more practical areas of performance criteria, measurements, and environmental effects. Wherever possible, Web-based review article-type references have been used, in recognition of the way this book is likely to be used.
To the novice, this chapter provides a clear framework to assist the acquisition and development of knowledge gained from practical experience, and to the more experienced individual, it provides insight to stimulate deeper understanding and more effective problem-solving when using PM fibers.
Polarization maintaining, PM, polarization preserving, HiBi, or even occasionally polarization retaining fiber are all different names to describe the same thing any optical fiber that will faithfully preserve and transmit the polarization state of the light that is launched into it, even when subjected to environmental perturbations.
PM fiber...
