What is Polarization-Maintaining (PM) optical fiber?
The polarization of the light propagating in the regular single-mode fiber, however, gradually changes in an uncontrolled manner, depending on external perturbations such as temperature change and fiber movement. This problem can be solved by using a special fiber called PM fiber.
PM fiber is constructed in the way that the birefringence is induced by placing a stress rod between the core and the cladding. Three typical structures of PM fiber – Panda, Bow Tie, and Elliptical are shown in the Figure below. Such a birefringence results in two orthogonal linear polarized modes. The slow and fast principal optical axes are defined as the polarization direction of a mode with the larger and smaller propagation constant, respectively, and they are shown in the Figure below.
Why us?
Neptec offers not only standard single fiber and multiple fiber PM connectors/Arrays also
all kinds of customized PM connectors/Arrays in either flat or angled end face per customer’s requirements. Its operating wavelength covers from visible to near-infrared light. Our PM products include
- Single PM Fiber Patch Cord with LC, SC, and FC Connectors
- 8/12/24F PM Fiber with MT or MTP
- Linear or 2D Multichannel PM Fiber Arrays
- Customized PM Connector/Array
- Passive PM Fiber Optic Devices – Coupler/PLC Splitter, Band Pass Filter, Collimator, Isolator, Circulator, PBC/PBS, WDM/CWDM/DWDM, etc.
- High Power PM Devices – Combiner, MFA, CPS, Fiber End-cap, Isolator, Coupler, etc.
PM fiber assembly is widely used for Applications:
- Silicon Photonics
- LIDAR
- Laser and LED Light Sources
- Sensors and Gyroscopes
- External Modulators
- Optical Fiber Coupling
- Splitters, Combiners, Tap couplers
- Planar Waveguide Devices
- DWDMs
- OADMs
- Polarization Multiplexers
- Polarization Sensitive Components
- Arrayed Devices
- Optical Amplifiers
- Probes/instrumentation
