PMF3

polarization
 Light waves consist of oscillating electric and

magnetic fields. These two fields are
perpendicular to each other and to the
direction of light traveling. We call the electric
field plane as the light's polarization.
 Sunlight and many other ordinary light is
made of many light waves, each with their
electric and magnetic fields oriented
randomly. If all waves’ electric fields were
aligned parallel to each other, we call this
light linearly polarized.
Fiber birefringence
 Polarization does not really matter in MM fibers but it can

be crucial in SM fibers especially for long distance and
high speed rate fiber communications.
 SM fibers actually supports two orthogonal linearly
polarized modes.
 In SM fiber of perfectly cylindrical core of uniform
diameter, these modes same mode index ‘ n’ and the
same propagation constants β and they travel with the
same velocity
 Real fibers are not perfectly cylindrical. They exhibit
variation in the diameter due to the presence of non
uniform stress, bends, twists etc. along the length of the
fiber
 As a result, the propagation constants β of the two
polarization components become different and the fiber
becomes birefringent
Fiber birefringence
Modal birefringence
δn = /nx — ny /
nx = mode index of x polarized mode
ny = mode index of y polarized mode
Corresponding change in the propagation
constants β
δβ = (2π/λ) δn
λ = Wavelength of light in vacuum
This leads to periodic change of modal power
between the two components
Fiber birefringence
 Linearly polarized light is launched into a SM
fiber such that both the modes are excited.
 At the launching end the two polarizations have
the same amplitude and there is no phase
difference.
 As the light propagates down the fiber length
one mode gets out of phase with respect to the
other due to the different phase propagation
constants.
Fiber birefringence
 At any point along the fiber length the two
components will produce elliptically polarized
light.
 At a phase difference of π/2, circularly polarized
light will be produced.
 The polarization progresses from linear to
elliptical to circular and back to linear.
 This sequence of alternating states of
polarization continues along the fiber length
Fiber birefringence
Fiber birefringence
 The length Lp of the fiber over which the
polarization rotates through an angle of 2π
radians (phase difference between the two
polarized modes becomes 2π) is called the
beat length of the fiber.
Beat length Lp = 2π/ δβ
= λ/δn
Polarization Mode dispersion
 Single-mode optical fiber and components support one

fundamental mode, which consists of two orthogonal
polarization .
 Ideally, the core of an optical fiber is perfectly circular,
and therefore has the same index of refraction for both
polarization states.
 Mechanical and thermal stresses introduced during
manufacturing result in asymmetries in the fiber core
geometry. This asymmetry introduces small index of
refraction differences for the two polarization states, a
property called birefringence.
 Pulse broadening in SM fiber due to

birefringence
 If the input pulse excites both the
orthogonally polarized components of the
fundamental fiber mode, they will travel with
different group velocities
 Let the group velocities the two components are
Vgx and Vgy respectively , the two will arrive at the other
end of the fiber length L after times L/ Vgx and L/ Vgy
 The time delay ΔT between two orthogonally
polarized components
ΔT = / L/ Vgx — L/ Vgy /
This difference in the propagation times gives rise to
pulse broadening.
This is called Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD).
The slight speed difference can cause problems in
high speed fiber optic links such as 10Gbit/s and
40Gbit/s.
 The rms value of the differential group delay can be

approximated as:
ΔT
differential group delay (DGD). DGD is the unit that is used to describe PMD.
Polarization maintaining fibers
 Polarization maintaining fiber (PM Fiber) is a special
type of single mode fiber. Normal single mode fibers
are capable of carrying randomly polarized light.
However, PM fiber is designed to propagate only one
polarization of the input light.
 In polarization maintaining fiber, the polarization of
linearly-polarized light waves launched into the fiber
is maintained during propagation, with little or no
cross-coupling of optical power between the
polarization modes.
 This characteristic is achieved during the
manufacturing process by inducing stresses in the
material itself.
Cross Section of Polarization
Maintaining Fibers
 The picture shows the cross-section of three types of
polarization maintaining fibers (PM fibers). These
fibers contain a feature not seen in other fiber types.
Besides the fiber core, there are stress rods in the
fibers. The stress rods are two circles in the Panda
PM fiber, a elliptical clad in elliptical-clad PM fiber and
two bow-ties in the Bow-Tie type PM fiber.
 As their name implies, these stress rods create stress
in the core of the fiber such that the transmission of
only one polarization plane of light is favored.
Applications of Polarization
Maintaining Fibers
 PM optical fibers are used in special applications, such as
fiber optic sensing, interferometry and slab dielectric
waveguides
 PM fibers are used in coherent optical transmission systems
or long distance bidirectional optical transmission systems
 They may also be used in transmission applications where
the polarization plane of the optical signal is important, such
as transmission lines for optical sensors and coupling for
optical electrical integrated circuits
 PM fibers are used in lithium niobate modulators, Raman
amplifiers, and other polarization sensitive systems to
maintain the polarization of the incoming light and keep
cross-coupling between polarization modes at a minimum.
More Pictures of PM Fibers
Polarization Mode Dispersion
Polarization Maintaining Fiber
Non-Polarization Maintaining Fiber
Random power transfer occurs between different polarization modes

as the pulse propagates, if the two modes have different propagation velocities
then the pulse will broaden
 Polarization maintaining fibers are special kinds of
single mode fibers, they are also commonly called
PM fibers or Panda PM fibers.
 PM fibers have built-in asymmetry which is also
called birefringence. The refractive index of PM fiber
differs for the two polarizations and this effect prevent
light energy from coupling between two polarizations.
 PM fibers can transmit light in a single polarization if
the input light polarization is aligned to one of its two
birefringence axes. And that is why they are called
polarization maintainingfibers.
 Polarization maintaining fibers (also called Panda PM
fibers) are specially designed to solve this polarization
uncontrollable problem. PM fibers have strong built-in
birefringence. When the polarization of the light coupled
into the fiber is aligned with one of the birefringent axes,
its polarization state is maintained even if the fiber is
bent.
 The most popular design in the industry today is to use
two stress rods of a glass composition on both sides of
the fiber core. The stress rods cause stress that well-
maintains polarization of the input light. This type of
polarization maintaining fibers are called Panda PM fiber
or Corning PM fiber since Corning designed it.
 When PM fibers are terminated with fiber connectors,
it is very important that the stress rods line up with
the connector, usually in line with the connector key.
 PM fiber also requires a great deal of care when it is
spliced. Not only the X,Y and Z alignment have to be
perfect when the fiber is melted together, the
rotational alignment must also be perfect so that the
stress rods align exactly.
 Another requirement is that the launch conditions at
the optical fiber end face must be consistent with the
direction of the transverse major axis of the fiber
cross section.
Fiber birefringence
 In a non perfect fiber various perturbations along
the fiber length such as strain or variations in the
fiber geometry and composition leads to coupling
of energy from one polarization to other.
 The energy transfer is at a maximum when the
perturbations have a period Λ corresponding to
beat length
Λ = λ/δn

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polarization

 Light waves consist of oscillating electric and

 Polarization does not really matter in MM fibers but it can

 Single-mode optical fiber and components support one

 Pulse broadening in SM fiber due to

 The rms value of the differential group delay can be

Polarization Maintaining Fiber

Non-Polarization Maintaining Fiber

Random power transfer occurs between different polarization modes

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