Polarization-mode dispersion emulator

US6542650B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• University of Southern California · US
• UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE · US

Inventors

• Reza Khosravani · Los Angeles, US
• Paniz Ebrahimi · Los Angeles, US
• Ivan T. Lima, Jr. · Arbutus, US
• Edem Ibragimov · Santa Clara, US
• Alan E. Willner · Los Angeles, US
• Curtis R. Menyuk · Silver Spring, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 30, 2000
• Grant date: Apr 1, 2003
• Expiry date: Nov 30, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/3812
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Techniques and devices for emulating polarization-mode dispersion in an optical signal that transmits through an optical fiber by using multiple birefringent wave-guiding sections that are interconnected to have adjustable polarization-changing connectors. The polarization of light transmitting from one section to another adjacent section can be modified differently between different adjacent sections according to a distribution function to produce one PMD state to represent one possible PMD state of a real PMD fiber. The connectors can be adjusted to produce different sets of polarization modifications to produce different PMD states to represent different possible PMD states of the real PMD fiber.