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ABSTRACTDistributed stress sensor with a scanning Michelson white light interferometer can be used to detect stress distribution and its value by analyzing polarization mode coupling caused by stress field in PMFs (polarization maintaining fibers).In the measurement of polarization coupling, the birefringence in sensing fiber is usually considered to be wavelength-independent. The spatial resolution of the distributed stress sensor is invariable, when the optical source spectrum is given. In practical measurement, however, the birefringence in PMF is related with optical wavelength, the birefringence dispersion exists in PMF. Due to the birefringence dispersion, the spatial resolution of the distributed stress sensor descends obviously with the fiber length increasing. In this paper, the influence of external force position and optical source spectrum on spatial resolution in the distributed stress sensor is analyzed, while the birefringence dispersion is considered.