title: Dispersion of birefringence and differential group delay in polarization-maintaining fiber.
abstract: We present an interferometric technique for measurement of the dispersion of birefringence in polarization-maintaining fibers. The approach yields measurements over a broad spectral range from analysis of single interferograms obtained in a tandem inteferometer. The technique is demonstrated to measure first-, second-, and third-order dispersion of the differential propagation constant, corresponding to differential group delay (DGD) and its dispersion to second order; measurements are immune to asymmetry in the interferomgram that is being processed. The technique is further applied to measurement of the temperature dependence of DGD and its first-order dispersion.
authors.forename: Dãânal A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Flavin
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.forename: Julian D C
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Jones