Analysis of a birefringent sensor's dependence on the blocking properties of linear polarizers and the input laser beam's polarization state

Abstract

The performance of birefringent fiber-optic sensors is examined theoretically, based on the extinction properties and leakage of the linear polarizers and the initial light beam's polarization state. Results indicate that polarizers with leakage factors as large as 0.01 can still be part of high-quality sensing systems. It is also shown that in certain input-beam polarization conditions, the presence of a leaky polarizer in the sensing system acts similarly to a perturbation point on the fiber, causing polarization mixing and signal degradation.