Abstract:
According to Rytov's law, the polarization vector of light follows a Fermi-Walker transport equation in optical fibers. Recent advancements in theory propose a modification to Rytov's law due to fiber bending. The aim of this talk is to further extend these predictions from flat to curved space-time. This involves perturbatively solving Maxwell's equations under the assumption that the wavelength is significantly shorter than the fiber's radius of curvature, as well as the characteristic length-scales of the ambient space-time. This results in a coupling of the polarization vector to the spatial Riemann curvature tensor and second derivatives of the lapse function.