Angular alignment of highly birefringent fibers employing acoustically scanned time-delay technique

Author

Sinha, Pranay G. ; Bjerkan, Leif ; Bløtekjaer, Kjell

Author_Institution

Fac. of Electr. & Comput. Sci., Norwegian Inst. of Technol., Trondheim, Norway

Volume

7

Issue

12

fYear

1995

Firstpage

1462

Lastpage

1464

Abstract

We demonstrate a technique for accurate angular alignment of highly birefringent fibers by using a variable-delay interferometer. The variable-delay interferometer is constructed from an optical fiber supporting LP/sub 01/ and LP/sub 11/ modes. The intermodal time delay is varied by an acoustic pulse propagating along the fiber. Using a broadband optical source the time delays in two sections of highly birefringent fibers are scanned by the traveling acoustic pulse, and with the help of the interference peaks the alignment angle is adjusted. A tolerance angle of 0.09/spl deg/ corresponding to -56 dB is estimated.

Keywords

acoustic pulses; birefringence; fibre optic sensors; light interferometers; optical fibre testing; optical workshop techniques; LP/sub 01/ modes; LP/sub 11/ modes; acoustic pulse propagation; acoustically scanned time-delay technique; alignment angle; angular alignment; broadband optical source; fibre optic sensors; highly birefringent fibers; interference peaks; intermodal time delay; light interferometers; optical fiber; tolerance angle; traveling acoustic pulse; variable-delay interferometer; Acoustic propagation; Acoustic pulses; Birefringence; Delay effects; Interference; Optical fiber polarization; Optical fiber sensors; Optical fibers; Optical interferometry; Optical sensors;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/68.477283

Filename

477283