Patent ID: 6604871
Filing Date: 2003-08-12
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensator for compensating for PMD occurring in an optical transmission line comprising:optical circuitry for receiving from the optical transmission line an input optical signal comprising first and second PMD associated optical pulses having first and second states of polarization respectively, and for directing the received first and second PMD associated optical pulses with their first and second states of polarization, respectively, onto first and second paths; and an interferometer arrangement comprising: a waveplate coupled in the second path for rotating the second state of polarization of the second PMD associated optical pulse so that the first and second states of polarization are aligned; a delay element coupled in one of the first and second paths for selectively inserting a delay in the PMD associated optical pulse propagating therethrough so that a measured differential delay between the first and second PMD associated optical pulses, is selectively compensated for with the delay element in order to synchronize the first and second PMD associated optical pulses; and an optical combiner for optically combining the synchronized first and second PMD signals from the first and second paths of the interferometer arrangement to generate a combined optical output signal.