Patent ID: 6856400

Claim:
An optical vector analyzer for analyzing the characteristics of a fiber-optic device under test (DUT) over a frequency range of interest, comprising: a source of light having an optical frequency content over said frequency range of interest, for feeding a spinner, said spinner configured to provide a spinner light output having a polarization state which varies linearly with said frequency range, said spinner light output coupled as an input to both said DUT and a reference path; a beam combiner for adding combining a light output from said reference path and a light output from said DUT for a plurality of frequencies in said frequency range of interest and providing an output indicative of optical power, in two orthogonal polarization states, of said combined light; and microprocessor responsive to said power outputs and programmed to: digitize said power outputs over a plurality of frequencies in said frequency range of interest, derive respective curves from said digitized power outputs, calculate the Fourier transform of said respective curves, and derive from said Fourier transforms, one or more arrays of constants for a Jones matrix, thereby characterizing said device under test.