Enabling Maximum Precision in Polarimetric Fiber Sensors Using Fisher Information

Polarization-based fiber sensors detect external stimuli by measuring changes in the polarization state of light as it propagates through an optical fiber. While well-established for many applications, polarization-based fiber sensors often face significant challenges in signal control, due to environmental sensitivity and polarization instabilities, and in signal processing and optimization, due to the complexity of accurately interpreting polarization changes, both of which directly impact their sensitivity and precision [1]. In this presentation, we introduce a novel method that employs the Mueller matrix formalism and Fisher information [2] to enhance the performance of a polarimetric sensor in detecting deformations <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\Delta x$</tex> applied to the optical fiber. The polarization state is described by the Stokes vector, whose transformation through the fiber is characterized by the Mueller matrix <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$M$</tex>. Deformations induce measurable changes in <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$M$</tex>, facilitating detection. By maximizing the Fisher information [2], which is directly correlated with the precision of the measurement, we are able to determine the optimal polarization input states that improve the accuracy of the sensor.