title: Distributed measurement of birefringence dispersion in polarization-maintaining fibers.
abstract: A new method to measure the birefringence dispersion in high-birefringence polarization-maintaining fibers is presented using white-light interferometry. By analyzing broadening of low-coherence interferograms obtained in a scanning Michelson interferometer, the birefringence dispersion and its variation along different fiber sections are acquired with high sensitivity and accuracy. Birefringence dispersions of two PANDA fibers at their operation wavelength are measured to be 0.011 ps/(km nm) and 0.018 ps/(km nm), respectively. Distributed measurement capability of the method is also verified experimentally.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. hitoyou@eyou.com
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xiang-Zhao
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yimo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wencai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jing