WHITE-LIGHT INTERFEROMETRY WITH DEPOLARIZATION OF THE RADIATION

It is shown that the precision of white-light interferometers with a s ingle-mode fiber linking the sensing and processing interferometers ca n be enhanced by incorporating discrete or all-fiber ''time -average'' radiation depolarizers (Billings depolarizers). Relations are given t o describe the dependence of the output signal and the ''zero'' drift; of white-light interferometers on the polarization characteristics of the optical channel. Relations are also presented for the elements of the Jones matrix of a Billings depolarizer. (C) 1997 American Institut e of Physics. [S1063-7850(97)02807-3].