G. B. Malykin

Mathematical modeling of random coupling between polarization modes in single-mode optical fibers: X. Verification of the ergodic hypothesis for fiber ring interferometers

The problem of the validity of the ergodic hypothesis as applied to a fiber ring interferometer (FRI) is considered on the basis of a comparison between magnitudes of the zero drift of an FRI calculated upon changing temperature of the fiber and upon random realizations of inhomogeneities in a single-mode optical fiber (SMF). The physical nature and statistical characteristics of random inhomogeneities in an SMF, types of polarization nonreciprocity in an FRI, and thermo-optical parameters of an SMF are analyzed. An algorithm for calculation of the zero drift of an FRI on changing temperature is proposed. The conditions under which the ergodic hypothesis is satisfied in an FRI are formulated. In particular, it is shown that many random inhomogeneities have to be placed on the depolarization length of polychromatic radiation in the SMF loop of an FRI; otherwise, the zero drift of the FRI calculated by the method of averaging over an ensemble of independent realizations may significantly exceed its actual value. Numerical estimations are made. It is shown that thermostabilization of an FRI with a polychromatic radiation source may significantly reduce its zero drift.

Mathematical simulation of random coupling of polarization modes in single-mode optical fibers: IX. Zero drift in a fiber ring interferometer with a loop made of an optical fiber with strong linear birefringence

Numerical simulation of random inhomogeneities in a strongly anisotropic single-mode optical fiber (SMOF) forming a loop in a fiber ring interferometer (FRI) designed according to the minimal scheme is used to obtain the dependences of an interference signal at the FRI output and the zero shift and drift of an interference pattern of counterpropagating waves on the angles of orientation of the axes of linear birefringence in an SMOF at both inputs of the FRI loop. It is shown that the use of a superluminescent diode as a radiation source makes it possible to increase the sensitivity of fiber-optic gyroscopes fabricated on the basis of FRIs by 1–2 orders of magnitude and to obtain the values of real sensitivity required for navigation purposes.

Mathematical Modeling of Random Coupling between Polarization Modes in Single-Mode Optical Fibers: XIII. Conditions of Applicability of the Ergodic Hypothesis for Fiber Ring Interferometers

Some additional conditions of applicability of the ergodic hypothesis to fiber ring interferometers (FRIs) with a loop consisting of a single-mode optical fiber (SMOF) with random inhomogeneities are considered. It is shown by mathematical modeling that the change in the phase difference of counterpropagating waves at the FRI output with the SMOF temperature is not a stationary random process. However, in a fairly narrow temperature range, this dependence can be assumed to be locally stationary. The conditions determining this temperature range are formulated. It is shown for a fairly large ensemble of independent realizations of random inhomogeneities in an SMOF that, even when all conditions of ergodicity are satisfied with a large margin, there will always be at least one realization violating strict ergodicity. Thus, only conditional (approximate) ergodicity occurs in this case. Nevertheless, in calculation of the FRI zero drift in this situation, averaging over an ensemble of independent realizations of random inhomogeneities in the SMOF of an FRI loop can be performed with sufficient accuracy. As a result, calculations are simplified significantly. In the general case, when at least one of the conditions of ergodicity is not satisfied, averaging over temperature for each realization with subsequent averaging over the entire ensemble should be performed. It is shown also that, within this problem, we can speak only about quasi-ergodicity or emulation of ergodicity, since a change in the temperature of the SMOF of an FRI loop and successive enumeration of independent realizations of random inhomogeneities in the SMOF loop are radically different random processes. The parameters characterizing quasiperiodic temperature changes in the phase difference of counterpropagating waves at the FRI output are refined.

Mathematical Modeling of Random Coupling between Polarization Modes in Single-Mode Optical Fibers: VIII. Zero Drift in a Fiber Ring Interferometer with a White Light Source

Different schemes of fiber ring interferometers (FRIs) with a broadband nonmonochromatic radiation source manufactured on the basis of air-silica microstructured single-mode optical fibers (SMOFs) are considered. This source is close in spectral characteristics to a white light source, because the width of its emission spectrum is comparable to the mean wavelength. It is shown that an increase in the width of the spectrum of the radiation source can lead to either a substantial decrease or an increase in the zero drift, depending on the radiation polarization at the FRI entrance. The latter fact has defied explanation within simple phenomenological models of random coupling between polarization modes in SMOFs of an FRI circuit. The observed increase in the zero drift of the FRI can be explained in terms of the dependence of the parameter of polarization conservation (the parameter h) on the light wavelength for highly anisotropic SMOFs. This dependence is weak for nonmonochromatic radiation sources with a relatively small spectral width, for example, superluminescent diodes, which are traditionally used in FRIs. In contrast, for substantially more broadband radiation sources (including air-silica SMOFs), the above dependence is well pronounced and can lead to a number of undesirable effects in FRIs. Different variants of the FRI design are analyzed. It is demonstrated that the zero drift can be noticeably decreased with an increase in the width of the spectrum of the radiation source for an arbitrary radiation polarization at the entrance of an FRI with a depolarizer of nonmonochromatic radiation and a circuit fabricated from a weakly anisotropic SMOF, for which the parameter h does not depend on the light wavelength. The numerical estimates are obtained.

Mathematical modeling of random coupling between polarization modes in single-mode optical fibers: VI. Evolution in the degree of polarization of nonmonochromatic radiation traveling in a twisted optical waveguide

An analysis is made of the evolution of polarization of nonmonochromatic radiation travelling through single-mode optical fibers in the presence of random coupling between orthogonally polarized modes, which is caused by the random twist of axes of natural linear birefringence of an SMF, and in the presence of a regular axis twist. It is shown that the depolarization length of nonmonochromatic radiation in an SMF increases with increasing regular SMF twist, regardless of the presence of a random axis twist. Using the Monte Carlo method, the dependences of the mathematical expectation and the mean-square deviation of the degree of polarization of nonmonochromatic radiation on the fiber length for SMFs with different linear birefringences and regular axis twists are calculated. It is shown that the fiber length on which the degree of polarization of nonmonochromatic radiation reaches its limiting value increases and the limiting value itself decreases with an increasing regular twist. It is also shown that an induced SMF twist is able to improve parameters of a fiber interferometer, in particular, to decrease random phase changes and intensity fadings of the interference signal, which are caused by random coupling between polarization modes.

Mathematical modeling of random coupling between polarization modes in single-mode optical fibers: XIV. Spectral characteristics of nonreciprocal phase difference of counterpropagating waves at the output of a fiber ring interferometer at a change in the fiber temperature

Distributions of the spectral density of the dependence of the phase difference of counterpropagating waves in a fiber ring interferometer (FRI) on the temperature of the single-mode optical fiber (SMOF) in the FRI loop (temperature spectra of the FRI zero drift) due to polarization nonreciprocity have been obtained by Fourier analysis for different spectral linewidths of the FRI radiation source and different linear birefringences of the SMOF in the FRI loop. It is shown that a change in the temperature of the SMOF in the FRI loop changes mainly the SMOF linear birefringence. This effect leads to a change in the phases of the radiation that is transferred from one polarization mode to another at those points in the SMOF where the random twisting of the axes of unperturbed linear birefringence of the SMOF changes. The effect of the magnitude of the jump under consideration, its location with respect to the nearest FRI loop end, and the magnitude of the cross-correlation (visibility) function of the radiation transmitted along the slow and fast SMOF axes from the loop end to the point where a jump in twisting of the SMOF axes occurs on the character of the temperature spectra of the FRI zero drift is determined. It is shown that in the case where the depolarization length of nonmonochromatic radiation in an SMOF is smaller than the average length of the SMOF segment on which random twisting is constant, the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the temperature spectra of the FRI zero drift depend strongly on the polarization state of the radiation at the input of the FRI loop. The reason for this difference is explained.

Effect of polarization nonreciprocity in rotating fiber ring interferometers

The effect of polarization nonreciprocity in sensors of angular velocity of rotation—fiber ring interferometers (FRIs)—is considered for arbitrary polarization of eigenmodes of the single-mode optical fiber of an FRI loop and arbitrary polarization state of radiation at the FRI input. A new method for detecting the polarization nonreciprocity in an FRI is proposed. Numerical estimations are made.

Mathematical modeling of random coupling between polarization modes in single-mode optical fibers: Integrated statistical properties of polarization modes of single-mode optical fibers in the presence of random inhomogeneities

Using mathematical modeling, an explicit form is found for the Jones matrix of a segment of a single-mode optical fiber with random inhomogeneities, whose length is considerably greater than the correlation length of random inhomogeneities. It is shown that parameters of this matrix are of a statistical nature. A rational representation of the matrix is proposed. It is shown that, under certain conditions, one of the matrix parameters may be treated as constant, whereas the other parameter is assumed to be continuously distributed on the interval [0, 2π]. As the latter parameter is changed, which corresponds to a change from one random realization of inhomogeneities in a single-mode fiber to another, the ellipticity and the azimuth of the major axis of the polarization ellipse of natural polarization modes of a single-mode fiber simultaneously change.

Methods for eliminating the influence of nonlinear Kerr effect on the zero drift of fiber ring interferometers

Nonlinear Kerr effect leads to the appearance of a periodic structure in the saturated refractive index of an optical fiber, which corresponds to a standing structure formed by counterpropagating waves in the circuit of a fiber ring interferometer (FRI). If the intensities of counterpropagating waves are slightly different, their reflection from this periodic structure leads to the appearance of a phase shift of interference of counterpropagating waves unrelated to rotation at the FRI output. If a nonmonochromatic radiation source is used in the FRI system, only radiation rereflected from the middle of the circuit makes a contribution to the phase shift. A method for eliminating the influence of the nonlinear Kerr effect on the zero shift of fiber ring interferometers is proposed. This consists in making the middle of the circuit discontinuous. Numerical estimates are made.

Determination of the parameters of rotational and translational diffusion of a resonant medium by nonlinear polarization spectroscopy

A complete theoretical interpretation of the experimental data on the transformation of the polarization state of a weak wave in a layer of resonant medium (methane) depending on the intensity of high-power counterpropagating wave is presented in terms of the vector theory of radiation-matter interaction. A method for the experimental determination of the coefficients of rotational and translational gas diffusion is developed based on the theoretical calculation of two types of dichroism and birefringence and the use of experimental data on the change in the probe wave polarization at saturation of the resonant transition by the intensity of a counterpropagating wave with two different (linear and circular) field polarizations. This method also takes into account low backscattering of the strong wave field from optical path inhomogeneities.