Patent ID: 8005360

Claim:
A method of polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensation for an alternately polarized-return to zero-differential phase shift keyed (APol-RZ-DPSK) optical signal, the method comprising: receiving an APol-RZ-DPSK signal whose polarization varies; generating a PMD compensation feedback signal indicative of the average RF power of the received APol-RZ-DPSK signal; and compensating, through the effect of a polarization mode dispersion compensator (PMDC), PMD of the received APol-RZ-DPSK signal wherein the PMDC adjusts the amount of compensation in response to the generated PMD compensation feedback signal, wherein the PMD compensation feedback signal is based on an output of a delay line interferometer (DLI) to which a portion of the APol-RZ-DPSK signal is introduced.