The dependency of the pressure-induced birefringence of a side-hole fi
ber on its geometry has been numerically investigated using the finite
element method. We demonstrate that the pressure sensitivity of such
a fiber shows a linear dependence on phi(2), where phi is the angle be
tween the side hole center and core center aids and the core center to
side-hole tangent, Experimental data obtained with two different side
-hole fiber sensors are shown to agree extremely well (to within 1 %)
with theoretical predictions.