The polarimetric interference pattern on the surface of single-mode planar waveguides made by potassium ion exchange in soda-lime glass substrates can be observed through a 45° analyzer, which allows for the high-precision measurement of the modal birefringence of samples in a wide range of 0 to 5×10~(-4). Using this method, believed to be new, we investigated the effects of exchange temperature and time on the modal birefringence of single-mode potassium ion-exchanged waveguides. The modal birefringence profile was achieved by measurement of the variation of the phase difference between the TE_(0) and the TM_(0) modes with hydrofluoric-acid-etching depth of the sample.
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