Polarization control in a large-stroke optical fiber delay line

In the context of an optical fiber delay-line implementation by use of silica fiber stretching capability, we experimentally demonstrate that highly birefringent fibers preserve their ability to maintain the polarization coherence in spite of the high magnitude of the stresses applied to them during large stretching. Two experimental demonstrations are presented. In the first, polarization cross coupling versus stretching is characterized. This stretching induces a variation of group delay in the span 0-45 cm. The second is a test of the fiber stretcher in an interferometric application. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.