We propose an all-fiber broadband circular polarizer based on leaky mode coupling and a phase-matched turning point (PMTP) in a chirped, double-helix, chiral, long-period, fiber grating (CLPG). The CLPG was coated with a material in which the refractive index was higher than that of the fiber cladding, enabling the coupling of the core mode to leaky modes to achieve a desired extinction ratio. The complex coupled-mode theory was employed to investigate the coupling mechanism and conditions under which the desired coupling efficiency could be achieved. Moreover, the PMTP in phase-matched curves, which resolved the conflict between the operating bandwidth and the grating pitch range of the CLPG and made a large bandwidth with a small grating pitch possible, was used in the design to achieve a compact structure. Finally, two broadband circular polarizers with an extinction ratio above 25 dB were simulated; one had a bandwidth of over 120 nm and a length of 3.5 cm, and the other had a bandwidth of over 300 nm and a length of 8 cm.
Keywords: broadband; chiral fiber grating; circular polarizer; leaky mode coupling.