Polarization-holding single-mode optical-fiber cables

Polarization-holding properties of low-loss and highly birefringent single-mode fibers inserted into two kinds of cable are presented. Variation of the properties and microbending loss during cabling processes were investigated. No degradation in extinction ratio between two orthogonal polarizations was measured in cabling processes for the both cables. Furthermore, length dependence of the extinction ratio was examined theoretically and experimentally by splicing fibers over a 10-km optical transmission line, and the experimental results were found to be in good agreement with those evaluated from the coupled-wave equation.