Patent ID: 11923898
Assignee: LUNA INNOVATIONS INCORPORATED
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A method for determining birefringence of a waveguide segment at a particular location along the waveguide, where the waveguide has a first index of refraction for a first polarization state and a second, different index of refraction for a second polarization state that is substantially orthogonal to the first polarization state, the method comprising:
coupling light with a first polarization state into the waveguide;
detecting, at a polarization diverse receiver, first polarization state back scatter reflections associated with the waveguide segment corresponding to a first set of polarization state values;
generating first polarization state back scatter data associated with the first polarization state back scatter reflections;
coupling light with a second polarization state into the waveguide that is substantially orthogonal to the light with the first polarization state;
detecting, at a polarization diverse receiver, second polarization state back scatter reflections associated with the waveguide segment corresponding to a second set of polarization state values different from the first set of polarization state values;
generating second polarization state back scatter data associated with the second polarization state back scatter reflections;
determining a spectral response based on the first polarization state back scatter data and the second polarization state back scatter data;
computing a correlation based on the spectral response;
determining the birefringence of the waveguide segment at the particular location along the waveguide based on the correlation; and
using the determined birefringence to characterize the waveguide segment.