Measurement of optical fibre parameters using an optical polarimeter and Stokes-Mueller formalism

Although the method based on the Mueller matrix for the experimental determination of optical-device polarization behaviour is a powerful tool, it has rarely been applied to optical fibre. This paper introduces an experimental methodology for measuring the Mueller matrices of monomode fibre under uniform strains. Using a theoretical model derived from coupled-mode equations, we were able to first estimate the physical parameters of the fibre, then to use them to both test the model validity and assess their influence on the polarimetric behaviour of the fibre.