Abstract

The ideal structure of an optical single-mode fiber is unavoidably impaired by production defects and external random perturbations. According to the mode coupling theory, these perturbations and defects may be described in terms of an equivalent birefringence,¹ which evolves randomly along the fiber. The frequency dependence of such birefringence causes polarization mode dispersion (PMD), that is one of the most severe limit to high bit-rate systems.² As a consequence, fiber birefringence measurements are very useful in improving the analysis of PMD.

© 2002 Optical Society of America