Polarization stability of circularly polarized laser pulses propagating in non-birefringent single-mode optical fibers

Abstract
The polarization state of circularly and linearly polarized picosecond laser pulses propagating through nonbirefringent single-mode optical fibers have been studied. It was found that circularly polarized laser pulses were less sensitive to the intensity than that of linearly polarized laser pulses. A model using self-phase modulation (SPM) and cross-phase modulation (XPM) has been proposed to explain the measured preservation of the circular polarization state and the depolarization of linear polarization state in optical fibers. The model is in good agreement with the experimental results.