Patent ID: 6020584
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: G01M

Abstract:
A method of measuring a polarization mode dispersion optical performance characteristic of an optical waveguide device comprising the steps of:(a) providing an optical waveguide device comprised of a length of optical waveguide fiber wound under a tension on a spool;(b) applying a force to said spool proximate said wound optical waveguide fiber;(c) relieving said force applied to said spool proximate said wound optical waveguide fiber;(d) measuring the polarization mode dispersion of the optical waveguide device after said force is relieved to obtain a post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement value;(e) recording said post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement value;(f) repeating step (b), step (c), step (d), and step (e) to obtain a Maxwellian distribution of a plurality of recorded post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement values;(g) extracting a mean polarization mode dispersion measurement value from said plurality of recorded post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement values.