Patent ID: 6912328
Filing Date: 2005-06-28
Classification: G01M,G02B,H04B

Abstract:
1. A method for characterizing polarization mode dispersion in an optical medium, the method comprising: measuring an averaged state of polarization vector of an optical signal in the optical medium for each of a plurality of spectra, each spectrum having a frequency bandwidth different from the other spectra of the plurality of spectra; and determining a characteristic of the polarization mode dispersion from an averaged state of polarization vectors and the frequency bandwidths, wherein measuring the averaged state of polarization vector of the optical signal comprises deriving a test optical signal from the optical signal, optically filtering the test signal, and measuring averaged state of polarization vectors of the filtered test signal, and optically filtering the test signal comprises sequentially directing the test signal through each of a plurality of bandpass filters, and measuring an averaged state of polarization vector for each of the bandpass filters.