All-order polarization mode dispersion compensation

Houxun Miao, Purdue University

Abstract

Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is one of the key factors limiting the upgrade of current optical fiber communication systems. Traditional PMD compensators typically work in the low-order PMD approximation. However, as the bandwidth of telecommunication systems increases, all-order PMD effects become increasingly important. In previous work, our group proposed and experimentally demonstrated all-order PMD compensation by sensing and compensating the PMD induced SOP distortion first and then measuring and correcting the resulted spectral phase. Due to the limit of the spectral phase measurement technique, we can not achieve full compensation for some PMD profiles. In this work, we first improve the previous PMD compensation system with an advanced optical pulse measurement technique – frequency-resolved optical gating. Then we propose a new and much more robust PMD compensation idea, which is based on wavelength-parallel sensing and correction of the frequency dependent Jones matrix of a fiber link. We experimentally demonstrate all-order PMD compensation of subpicosecond optical pulses distorted by a PMD module with an estimated mean differential group delay (DGD) of ∼ 5.5 ps with grating-based wavelength-parallel polarimeter and transmission pulse shaper. The PMD compensation system is suitable for PMD compensation of future Tb/s telecommunication systems. We scale the all-order PMD compensation concept to the optical bandwidth consistent with near-term lightwave communications rates by using virtually-imaged phased array based wavelength-parallel polarimeter and transmission pulse shaper, where we demonstrate all-order PMD compensation of ∼ 15 ps optical pulses distorted by all-order PMD with mean DGD of ∼ 42 ps.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Weiner, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Electrical engineering

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