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].