PZ Fiber Overview Polarizing (PZ) fiber (i.e., Zing™ fiber) is a
specialty optical fiber that will guide only one polarization
direction, thus polarizing light that is propagated through the
fiber. This form of single-polarization transmission carries
several benefits over single mode (SM) or polarization-
maintaining (PM) fiber. While PM fiber maintains the
polarization direction that is lined up with the birefringence
axis, cross talk occurs since the PM fiber is capable of guiding
any polarization direction. SM fiber can be stressed to induce
birefringence (see manual fiber polarization controllers), which
causes the fiber to behave much like a wave plate. While the
polarization axis can be manipulated in this case, the SM fiber
does not polarize the light. In contrast, PZ fiber guides only
one polarization direction; all other directions are unguided.
As a result, PZ fibers will polarize the light guided through
it, creating excellent suppression of unguided polarization
directions. While in-line polarizer