Abstract

By performing two-beam coupling experiments in a liquid-crystal light valve, we report a large slow-light birefringence (SLB) phenomenon, with orthogonal polarization states traveling at very different group velocities. We show that SLB can be exploited for realizing a common-path polarization interferometer able to detect phase variations with enhanced sensitivity.

© 2010 Optical Society of America

Characterization of birefringence dispersion in polarization-maintaining fibers by use of white-light interferometry

Feng Tang, Xiang-zhao Wang, Yimo Zhang, and Wencai Jing
Appl. Opt. 46(19) 4073-4080 (2007)

Picometer detection by adaptive holographic interferometry in a liquid-crystal light valve

U. Bortolozzo, S. Residori, and J. P. Huignard
Opt. Lett. 34(13) 2006-2008 (2009)

Experimental evidence of enhanced rotation sensing in a slow-light structure

Yundong Zhang, He Tian, Xuenan Zhang, Nan Wang, Jing Zhang, Hao Wu, and Ping Yuan
Opt. Lett. 35(5) 691-693 (2010)

Polarization-mode interferometry in birefringent single-mode fibers

Luc Thévenaz, Vincent de Coulon, and Jean-Pierre Von der Weid
Opt. Lett. 12(8) 619-621 (1987)

Slow-light interferometry: practical limitations to spectroscopic performance

Zhimin Shi and Robert W. Boyd
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 25(12) C136-C143 (2008)