The main technical parameters characterize work of optical fiber sensors for detection in real time polarization parameters of light are investigated in this paper. Generally, parameter defined as precision is used for comparison two in-line fiber-optic polarization analyzers where one used polarimetric and second interferometric sensor configuration. The theoretical description of those systems uses the coherence matrix and the Jones matrix calculus approach for partially polarized light source and fiber-optic elements, respectively. Such theoretical analyze permits obtaining analytical relations for polarization parameters based on measuring of electrical quantities. These relations were principle for describing theoretical measurement error. The experimental results obtained from testing of laboratory analyzer models had been used for definition of fundamental system parameter named system device precision, which uses statistical model. Results of these analyses showed that interferometric system allows more precise determination of the state of polarization in shorter measurement time. The polarimetric system gave worst precision what was caused mainly by temperature instabilities during adjusting procedure. However precision of both systems are better than in a bulk-optic anlayzers.

Date Published: 22 July 2004
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 5484, Photonics Applications in Astronomy, Communications, Industry, and High-Energy Physics Experiments II, (22 July 2004); doi: 10.1117/12.568924

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5484:
Photonics Applications in Astronomy, Communications, Industry, and High-Energy Physics Experiments II
Ryszard S. Romaniuk, Editor(s)