A new interferometric scheme for measuring mode conversion distributed locally along a polarizationmaintaining fiber is presented. Using this technique the power coupling coefficient, varying with magnitude and angle of external pressure transversely applied to a fiber, was evaluated both theoretically and experimentally. The coupling point location is determined with +/- 1.5-cm accuracy and resolution of better than 10 cm for a 220-m long fiber having modal birefringence of 4.4 x 10 (- 4). The coupling coefficient was proportional to the external force in the range from 5 x 10 (- 3) to 0.1 kg/mm. The relationships determined experimentally reflected those predicted by theory.

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A new technique for measuring the polarization mode coupling of a polarization-maintaining optical fiber has been proposed that uses a modified optical time-domain reflectometry in which two kinds of backscattered signals coming through each principal axis of the fiber are utilized. This technique shows how the mode coupling occurs along the fiber. The extinction ratio evaluated by the present technique is in good agreement with that obtained by a conventional technique (within +/-0.5 dB).

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This paper describes the structural design, trial production, and laying results for submarine optical fiber cables that can be deployed in shallow seas between islands and/or channel crossings without repeaters. Structural design methods for the submarine optical fiber cable are proposed, which take into consideration suppressing cable elongation under tension and excess loss under hydraulic pressure. This paper describes good laying results for the cable using this structural design method. The average loss for single-mode fibers was 0.72 dB/km, and the average loss for multimode fibers was 0.81 dB/km for a 10.2-km long cable operated at 1.3-microm wavelength.

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