Abstract

In the single-mode optical communication systems, active/passive couplers, mixers and multiplexers constitute key components. Between those components and also between terminals and those components, we need optical transmission lines of substantial lengths. Environmental changes in temperature and mechanical stress and pressure along the transmission lines cause almost constant fluctuation in the phase of any particular mode at any particular point, especially at the input ports of those optical components. When the phase fluctuation is coupled with polarization rotation in the conventional round single-mode fibers, and with interferometric couplings to be found in couplers, mixers and multiplexers, noise and mode instability occur. In this presentation, we will report theoretical and experimental studies on these problems.

© 1980 Optical Society of America