Accurate method for measuring the thermal coefficient of group birefringence of polarization-maintaining fibers

We present a method to accurately measure the group birefringence variation with temperature in high-birefringence polarization-maintaining (PM) fibers using a distributed polarization analyzer. By analyzing polarization cross-talk peaks purposely induced at both ends of a PM fiber, the temperature coefficient of group birefringence can be accurately obtained. We confirm the theoretical prediction that the group birefringence of PANDA and TIGER PM fibers decrease linearly with temperature from -40 degrees C to 80 C, and find that the temperature coefficients are -5.93 x 10(-7) degrees C(-1) and -5.29 x 10(-7) degrees C(-1) for two types of PANDA fibers, and -5.36 x 10(-7) C(-1) for a TIGER fiber. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America