Measuring polarization crosstalk in optical birefringent materials and devices based on reduction of line broadening caused by birefringent dispersion

摘要

Techniques and devices for measuring polarization crosstalk in birefringence optical media including polarization maintaining fiber.

主权项

1. A method for measuring polarization crosstalk in an optical birefringent medium, comprising:
coupling a linearly polarized light of a broadband spectrum into an optical birefringent medium that supports two orthogonal polarization modes due to optical birefringence to produce an optical output signal out of the optical birefringent medium, wherein the optical birefringent medium includes at least one location within the optical birefringent medium to cause a polarization crosstalk between the two orthogonal polarization modes in the optical birefringent medium; directing the optical output signal into an optical interferometer to obtain optical interference of light between the two orthogonal polarization modes that includes location information on the location of the polarization crosstalk in the optical birefringent medium and a degree of the polarization crosstalk; processing the obtained optical interference to obtain an envelope spectral function of the polarization crosstalk between the two orthogonal polarization modes in the optical birefringent medium to extract the location information of the polarization crosstalk in the optical birefringent medium and the degree of the polarization crosstalk; and applying a compensation function based on measurements of the optical birefringent medium to the envelope spectral function to reduce a spectral broadening in the envelope spectral function caused by optical birefringent dispersion due to presence of the two orthogonal polarization modes in the optical birefringent medium to restore an amplitude and a spectral width of a line shape of the envelope spectral function for improved accuracy in extracting the location information of the polarization crosstalk in the optical birefringent medium and the degree of the polarization crosstalk.