FREE SPACE SINGLE-MODE FIBERS AND FIBER COMPONENTS FOR FIBER SENSOR APPLICATIONS

摘要

This invention revealed and demonstrated a method of measuring and deriving a Jones Matrix of a fiber or fiber component, and to compensate the fiber or fiber component such that the fiber or fiber component plus the compensated optical circuit act as if an Unitary Matrix free space condition. In this way, all compensated fibers or fiber components act the same no matter what their original conditions are. It greatly enhances the fiber or fiber component repeatability and stability throughout the fiber or fiber component production line. The compensated circuit for Unitary Matrix can be applied externally or internally.;For the external approach, for example, compensators such as variable retarder and half-wave plate may be added, or equivalently polarization controllers may be employed. For the internal approach, no component is added, and the compensation is realized through fiber bending, twisting or other means at either or both ends of a fiber or fiber component.;The disclosed free space single-mode fiber invention not only greatly enhances repeatability in the fiber and fiber component production line, it also can be employed to accelerate the design simulation for optical circuit optimization of optical fiber sensors employed fiber and fiber coil such as fiber optic gyros.