title: Polarization holding in birefringent single-mode fibers.
abstract: Perturbations in highly birefringent single-mode fibers couple the two polarization modes and degrade the polarization-holding ability. With a broadband source we demonstrate wavelength averaging of the power in either mode, permitting a simple measurement of the power transfer to the cross-polarized mode as a function of fiber length. Using this technique, we confirm experimentally the theory of random mode coupling between the polarization modes.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Rashleigh
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ulrich