As the telecommunication,
sensor, and specialized fiber markets continue
to evolve, users require the ability to
discern between different polarization states.
During the transfer of light information
through optical fiber, maintaining a linear
polarization state is not a trivial task.
When linearly polarized light is launched
into a Single mode fiber the user can not
be guaranteed that the light will remain
linearly polarized once it emerges at the
other end. Consequently, information may
become distorted, or even lost completely.
With the introduction of Polarization Maintaining
Fiber, PM fiber, linearly polarized light
is capable of maintaining such a state once
correctly launched down the core of the
fiber. The linearly polarized light propagates
down the fiber core creating two orthogonal
(90 degree) axes through the core of the
fiber, and then launches the linearly polarized
light into one of these axes.
Fiber Connections makes it easy for our
customers to identify the guiding axes by
accurately aligning these axes with the
key of the connector. We have developed
PM assemblies which are actively aligned
at the wavelength for which the PM fiber
has been optimized. The current industry
standard PM fiber operates by introducing
stress applying members above and below
the fiber core, which effectively set up
two guiding axes of the PM fiber; the slow
axis (in line with the stress applying members
and the core) and the fast axis (90 degrees
to the stress applying members).
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