Patent ID: 8705167

Claim:
A system for compensating for polarization dependent loss experienced by an optical signal comprising: an optical amplifier configured to amplify an optical signal and having a polarization dependent gain (PDG); a polarization rotator coupled to the amplifier and configured to rotate the polarization of the optical signal before the signal enters the amplifier; and a polarization dependent loss (PDL) controller coupled to the amplifier and rotator and configured to: determine a post-amplifier PDL of the optical signal as the optical signal leaves the optical amplifier; and control the rotator to rotate the polarization of the optical signal based on the post-amplifier PDL such that the PDG of the amplifier compensates for the PDL experienced by the optical signal; wherein the signal includes a high loss polarization component and a low loss polarization component and wherein the PDL controller is further configured to determine the post-amplifier PDL of the signal by comparing power levels of the high and low loss polarization components of the signal as the signal leaves the amplifier.