Polarization optics of liquid-core optical fibers.

Whereas straight liquid-core optical fibers have the capability of transporting linearly polarized light with any incident polarization angle,bent fibers exhibit form birefringence with the principal axes fixed to the plane of curvature. The effect of this curvature-dependent birefringence can be compensated by either periodically altering the plane of curvature by 90 degrees or winding the fiber into a helix.