PM fiber patch cords maintain the polarization of light during transmission and are used in applications requiring polarization sensitivity. They are available with different connector types, fiber types, cable types, and lengths. Common uses include high-data communications, polarization components, interferometers, fiber amplifiers, lasers, and test equipment. Understanding polarization is important for many modern fiber optic systems.

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Polarization maintaining (PM) fiber optic patch cord is a kind of special fiber optic patch cord. It can
be used in many areas. Here’s what you need to know about PM fiber patch cords if your designs
require them.
What Is PM Fiber Patch Cord?
PM fiber patch cord is a fiber optic cable made with PM fiber and terminated on both ends with
high-quality ceramic fiber connectors. A PM optical fiber is a single mode optical fiber in which
linearly polarized light, if properly launched into the fiber, maintains a linear polarization during
propagation, exiting the fiber in a specific linear polarization state. If the polarization of the input
light is not aligned with the stress direction in the fiber, the output light will vary between linear and
circular polarization (and generally will be elliptically polarized). And the exact polarization will also
be sensitive to variations in temperature and stress in the fiber. The light shall be coupled at the
fiber entrance parallel to the slow axis or to the fast axis, then the maintaining of the polarization is
therefore possible. PM fiber patch cord is a base device of optical passive component. It also
features low insertion loss, high extinction ratio, high return loss, excellent changeability over a
wide wavelength range and excellent environmental stability and reliability. The following picture
shows PM fiber patch cords.
Types of PM Fiber Patch Cords
There are a wide variety of PM fiber patch cords available that support different data rates and suit
various connector types. According to different criteria, PM fiber patch cords can be categorized
The Basics of PM
Fiber Patch Cords

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into various types. The following is some detailed information about types of PM fiber patch cords
based on 4 different criteria:
Classification by connector type ― PM fiber patch cords are capped at both ends with fiber
connectors. FC, SC, LC and ST are the commonly used connector types for PM fiber termination.
According to the connectors on the both ends, there are many different kinds of PM fiber patch
cords, such as LC-FC, SC-FC, or FC-FC PM fiber patch cords.
Classification by fiber type―PM fiber patch cords are built with polarization maintaining fiber. To
ensure the polarization of both the input and output light in a PM fiber, several different shapes of
rod are used, and the resulting fiber is sold under brand names such as "Panda" and "Bow-tie".
With different PM fiber, there are corresponding PM fiber patch cords, such as Panda PM fiber
patch cords and Bow-tie PM fiber patch cords.
Classification by cable type―PM fiber patch cords can also be categorized according to the cable
types. There are mainly three kinds of cable types, 250um bare fiber, 900um loose tube jacket and
3mm loose tube jacket. So based on the cable types, there are 3 kinds of PM fiber patch cords.
Classification by fiber length―The standard length is 1 meter. It can vary for special requirements.
The length of PM fiber patch cords can be custom made.
Applications of PM Fiber Patch Cords
PM fiber patch cords are often used in polarization sensitive fiber optical systems for transmission
of light that requires the PM state to be maintained. PM optical patch cord is a special optical
component using the properties of optical fibers specially manufactured so that its transmission
parameters can support a particular application. They have a large number of uses, including
high-data-rate communications systems, polarization sensitive components, and interferometric
sensors. They are also widely used in PM fiber amplifiers, fiber lasers, high speed communication
systems, testing equipment and instrumentation applications. Area of use of PM fiber patch cords is
very broad and includes equipment such as instrumentation, spectroscopy, aerospace, medical
diagnostics and many other industrial applications.

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Conclusion
Understanding polarization has become a necessity in today’s fiber optic communication systems
and applications. Knowing more about PM fiber patch cord can help you to choose. Fiberstore is a
professional manufacturer and supplier, which offers a large amount of fiber optic patch cables.
There are various fiber jumpers with different connector types for you to choose, like LC-LC fiber
patch cord, SC fiber patch cable, and SC to LC patch cord. Our fiber optic patch cords are made and
custom to order worldwide.
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Notice: This document is for informational purposes only and does not set forth any warranty, expressed or
implied, concerning any equipment, equipment features, or service offered or to be offered by Fiberstore.
Fiberstore reserves the right to make changes to this document at any time, without notice, and assumes no
responsibility for its use. This information document describes features that may not be currently available.
Contact a Fiberstore sales team for information on feature and product availability.
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