Some characteristics of the polarization properties of single-mode W-type waveguides

An experimental investigation was made of the natural birefringence and of the spectral dependence of the maximum degree of polarization of light traveling in three-layer single-mode W-type fiber waveguides. The linear and circular birefringence was determined. An analysis of the spectral dependence of the maximum degree of polarization revealed a coupling between the dominant and leaky modes in the investigated fiber waveguide. The results obtained were used to estimate the coupling coefficient.