Polarization Dynamics of Light Propagating in Bent Spun Birefringent Fiber

Abstract

A comprehensive theoretical study of the light propagation in a bent spun birefringent optical fiber is presented. We consider the wave equation for a birefringent medium with rotation of the principal axes in the presence of additional linear birefringence and then find an approximate solution being reasonable over a wide range of birefringence parameters. Using this solution, the polarization modes of a bent spun fiber are introduced as a generalization of the modes of a straight spun fiber, allowing one to predict the polarization parameters of light throughout the bent spun fiber. Moreover, it is established that the introduced modes are resistant to coupling if the bending radius varies smoothly making it practically easy to convert the modes of the straight spun fiber to the modes of the bent spun fiber. The polarization peculiarities of non-monochromatical light propagating in a spun fiber is also studied.