Deformation of single-mode optical fibers under static longitudinal stress

The deformation of single-mode fibers resulting from a longitudinally applied static force has been measured experimentally by means of high resolution heterodyne interferometry and analyzed theoretically using the second-order theory of elasticity and the photoelastic effect. Both the elongation of the fiber and the phase change of light propagating through the fiber have been measured as a function of tensile force. The values of the elastic constants measured for fibers with pure silica core and B 2 O 3 doped cladding are E = 6.41 \times 10^{10} N/m ² for the Young's modulus, \delta = -4.0 for the nonlinearity constant of the longitudinal strain, and \beta = -2.3 for the nonlinearity constant of the transverse strain. For unit elongations up to 0.3 percent, no creep, hysterisis, or relaxation effects have been observed within a resolution of one part in 10 ⁴ .