An optical fiber, comprising: a central core having a maximum dimension (A) greater than a minimum dimension (B) and a substantially elliptical shape, the fiber having at least one air hole positioned each opposite side of the central core wherein the optical fiber exhibits (i) single polarization propagation within a single polarization band and (ii) polarization maintaining property, such that the fiber beat length normalized at 1550 nm is less than 10 mm; and the polarization maintaining band is situated within wavelengths which are (a) adjacent to and below the single polarization band; and (b) above the higher order mode cutoff wavelength.