[OPTICAL REVIEW Vol. 4, No. 1A (1997) 53-55]
Birefringence Writing and Erasing in Ultra-Low-Birefringence Fibers by Polarized Ultraviolet Side-Exposure: Origin and Applications
Thomas MEYER,1 Pierre -A. NICATI,1 Philippe A. ROBERT,1 Dimitris VARELAS,2 Hans -G. LIMBERGER2 and René P. SALATHÉ2
1Metrology Laboratory, 2Applied Optics Laboratory, EPFL Swiss-Federal Institute of Technology, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
(Received July 1, 1996; Accepted September 9, 1996)
This paper presents a new method for writing and erasing a birefringence in optical fibers by polarized ultra violet side-exposure. This experiment gives new insight into the origin of the induced birefringence and some applications are outlined.
Key words : optical fibers, photosensivity, birefringence