Method of evaluating fiber PMD using polarization optical time domain reflectometry

US6946646B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CORNING INCORPORATED · US

Inventors

• Xin Chen · Taoyuan, TW
• Nicol Heron · Wilmington, US
• Timothy Leonard Hunt · Wilmington, US
• Eric John Mozdy · Meadville, US
• Darren Andrew Stainer · Wilmington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 5, 2002
• Grant date: Sep 20, 2005
• Expiry date: Jan 10, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01M11/3181
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for screening fiber polarization mode dispersion using a polarization optical time domain reflectometer. A pulse radiation is emitted into the fiber under test, and the backscattered radiation is measured by the POTDR and used to obtain a POTDR trace. The POTDR trace is then analyzed to compare the variation of signals along the length of the fiber, the variation in signals relating to the level of PMD along the length of the fiber. Because high levels of PMD correspond to localized levels of low variability, by setting the variability of signal threshold sufficiently low, fibers having unacceptably high localized PMD can be identified and removed.