Single-end Measurement of Polarization Mode Dispersion in Optical Fibers with Polarization-dependent Loss

Abstract

A new re∞ectometric technique is proposed to measure the polarization mode dispersion (PMD) in optical flber links with polarization-dependent loss. Based on the PMD dynamical equation, some important relations can be obtained to make the backre∞ection mea- surement of PMD possible. Thus we can perform the single-end spectral resolved measurement of the difierential group delay and the difierential attenuation slope in both frequency and time do- mains simultaneously. In principle, this technique can be realized using continue-wave or pulsed probe lights and based on far-end Fresnel re∞ection or distributed Rayleigh backscattering. Some experimental results conflrm the validity of the proposed method. DOI: 10.2529/PIERS061005224120 Most of the polarization mode dispersion (PMD) measurement techniques require both flber ends to implement the tests, consequently, fleld tests on installed cables are time consuming and not simple (1). Thus the backscattering technique has been proposed to perform the single-end PMD measurement (1{3). In an optical flber link with polarization-dependent loss (PDL), due to the round-trip efiect, the round-trip complex PMD vector ~ WB = ~B+i ~B, which can be measured directly in the test, is only explicitly related with the flrst two elements of the complex PMD vector ~ W = ~ › + i~ ⁄ as (4) › 2 i ⁄ 2 = 4 i › 2 i ⁄ 2 ¢ ; ~B ¢ ~B = 4 ~L ¢ ~ ⁄L: