Polarization characteristics of the fundamental mode of optical fibers

The polarization properties of the fundamental mode of fibers are described along with concise analytical expressions for the fields of both low and high V fibers It is maintained that the present results correct a longstanding error in the literature connected with the fact that most authors provide only one schematic drawing to characterize the field lines of the fundamental mode. The origin of this error may be due to an incorrect interpretation of the dipole mode terminology invented by W.M. Elasser (1949). It is noted that the present results provide an accurate picture of polarization of the fundamental mode.>