Dispersion of group and phase modal birefringence in elliptical-core fiber measured by white-light spectral interferometry.

We present a white-light spectral interferometric technique employing a low-resolution spectrometer for measurement of the dispersion of the group and phase modal birefringence in an elliptical-core optical fi ber over a wide spectral range. The technique utilizes a tandem con fi guration of a Michelson interferometer and the optical fi ber to record a series of spectral interferograms and to measure the equalization wavelengths as a function of the optical path difference in the Michelson interferometer, or equivalently, the wavelength dependence of the group modal birefringence in the optical fi ber. Applying a polynomial fi t to the measured data, the wavelength dependence of the phase modal birefringence can also be determined.