Contrast analysis for a fiber-optic white-light interferometric system.

The behavior of a system of fiber-optic white-light interferometric sensors is analyzed. Analytical expressions for contrasts of all the interference patterns that may occur at the setup's output are derived as a function of coupling coefficients between successive sensors. Two cases of exemplary systems consisting of highly birefringent optical fibers, one with nondichroic the other with some polarizing fibers, are analyzed.