Orthogonal polarization mode coupling for pure twisted polarization maintaining fiber Bragg gratings.

Spectral characteristics of orthogonal polarization mode coupling for pure twisted polarization maintaining fiber Bragg gratings (PM-FBG) are proposed and analyzed experimentally and theoretically. Different from the polarization mode coupling in PM-FBG due to side pressure, a resonant peak at the middle of two orthogonal polarization modes is found when the PM-FBG is twisted purely which is attributed to the cross coupling of polarization modes. Its intensity increases with the twisting rate. A new coupled mode equation is built to describe the pure twist polarization mode coupling, in which both the normal strain induced by strain-applied parts and the tangential strain induced by twisting are taken into consideration and expressed in a unified coordinate. The novel phenomenon and its explanation are believed to be helpful for PM-FBG applications in fiber sensor and laser technologies.