Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to an optical reference element having a wavelength spectrum comprising a plurality of wavelength functions having wavelength peaks spaced over a range of wavelengths, wherein adjacent wavelength functions are due to two orthogonal birefringence axes in the optical reference element. Aspects of the present disclosure may eliminate the drift issues associated with residual polarization and polarization dependent loss (PDL) with respect to grating-based sensor and reference element measurements.

A microstructured optical fiber comprises a doped core region embedded in a cladding layer, and a plurality of longitudinal tubes, wherein a radial cross-section of the optical fiber comprises a central hexagonal portion comprising a plurality of holes arranged according to a hexagonal grid surrounding a core section. Each hole corresponds to a respective tube, within a hexagonal boundary of the grid, and the plurality of holes comprises holes of first and second types arranged in a biaxial mirror-symmetric configuration. The holes of the first type are arranged in two side holey structures comprising distinct sub-grids of the hexagonal grid, defined by respective outer boundaries corresponding to portions of the hexagonal boundary of the grid and respective inner boundaries. Outer tangential lines to the respective inner boundaries cross each other at the opposed side of the core with respect to the side of the respective side holey structure.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to an optical reference element having a wavelength spectrum comprising a plurality of wavelength functions having wavelength peaks spaced over a range of wavelengths, wherein adjacent wavelength functions are due to two orthogonal birefringence axes in the optical reference element. Aspects of the present disclosure may eliminate the drift issues associated with residual polarization and polarization dependent loss (PDL) with respect to grating-based sensor and reference element measurements.

System and method for determining distributed birefringence variations in a polarization-maintaining optical fiber (PM fiber). The method includes causing a pump signal to be sent into the PM fiber to generate a Brillouin dynamic grating (BDG) therein, causing a first chirped probe optical pulse to be sent into the PM fiber, receiving a first reflected signal, the first reflected signal being a first portion of the first chirped probe optical pulse reflected by the BDG, receiving a second reflected signal, the second reflected signal being a second portion of the first chirped probe optical pulse reflected by the BDG, and determining a variation of birefringence of the PM fiber indicative of a variation of physical disturbance of the PM fiber between times of reflections on the BDG of the first and second reflected signals.

System and method for determining distributed birefringence variations in a polarization-maintaining optical fiber (PM fiber). The method includes causing a pump signal to be sent into the PM fiber to generate a Brillouin dynamic grating (BDG) therein, causing a first chirped probe optical pulse to be sent into the PM fiber, receiving a first reflected signal, the first reflected signal being a first portion of the first chirped probe optical pulse reflected by the BDG, receiving a second reflected signal, the second reflected signal being a second portion of the first chirped probe optical pulse reflected by the BDG, and determining a variation of birefringence of the PM fiber indicative of a variation of physical disturbance of the PM fiber between times of reflections on the BDG of the first and second reflected signals.