Temperature insensitive structural polarization converters in highly birefringent microfibers

Abstract

We report the first fabrication of a polarization converter in a highly birefringent elliptical microfiber, which is made by periodically twisting a microfiber with an ellipticity of ∼0.7 and a diameter of ∼2.8 along its major axis. Strong input polarization suppression of ∼20 dB is achieved at a resonant wavelength of ∼1556.4 nm with a device length of ∼3.12 mm, one or even more two orders of magnitude shorter than that fabricated in the conventional Hi-Bi fiber. This device demonstrates temperature stability, which is of 15pm/O.