Measurement of polarization mode coupling along a polarization-maintaining optical fiber using a backscattering technique.

A new technique for measuring the polarization mode coupling of a polarization-maintaining optical fiber has been proposed that uses a modified optical time-domain reflectometry in which two kinds of backscattered signals coming through each principal axis of the fiber are utilized. This technique shows how the mode coupling occurs along the fiber. The extinction ratio evaluated by the present technique is in good agreement with that obtained by a conventional technique (within +/-0.5 dB).