In situ polarization mode dispersion measurement

摘要

The present invention employs polarizers and delay elements to effect the real-time measurement of optical parameters required to compute the polarization mode dispersion (PMD) in an optical fiber. The measurement is performed in situ and based on the remote sensing of the intensity levels of optical pulses transmitted through two polarizers deployed along the fiber for different known states of polarization at each of two wavelengths. In as much as information about the output states of polarization of the optical pulses contained in these latter intensity transmission measurements are made substantially coincident with the location of the polarizers, the return propagation of the optical pulses does not affect the measured polarization characteristics of the fiber.