Distributed measurement of intermodal beat length in an elliptic-core two-mode fiber by Brillouin dynamic grating

Optical time-domain measurement and characterization of intermodal beat length in an elliptic-core two-mode fiber (ecore TMF) is demonstrated using Brillouin dynamic grating. A mode-selective coupler is used for selective launch and retrieval of different modes, and the operations of BDG for four different pairs of pump-probe (LP01 x-LP11 x, LP01 x-LP11 y, LP01 y-LP11 x, LP01 y-LP11 y) are observed, representing a fine structure of modal birefringence in the e-core TMF. Distributed measurement of the BDG spectrum is performed for each pair of pump-probe with 1.5 m spatial resolution mapping the difference of the effective refractive indexes of spatial and polarization modes along a 75 m TMF.