Method of measuring the polarization mode dispersion of an optical waveguide device
First Claim
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1. A method of measuring a polarization mode dispersion optical performance characteristic of an optical waveguide device comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an optical waveguide device comprised of a length of optical waveguide fiber wound under a tension on a spool;
(b) applying a force to said spool proximate said wound optical waveguide fiber;
(c) relieving said force applied to said spool proximate said wound optical waveguide fiber;
(d) measuring the polarization mode dispersion of the optical waveguide device after said force is relieved to obtain a post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement value;
(e) recording said post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement value;
(f) repeating step (b), step (c), step (d), and step (e) to obtain a Maxwellian distribution of a plurality of recorded post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement values;
(g) extracting a mean polarization mode dispersion measurement value from said plurality of recorded post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement values.
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Abstract
A method of measuring the polarization mode dispersion of a chromatic dispersion compensating optical waveguide device is provided. A force is applied multiple times to the spool flanges of a chromatic dispersion compensating optical waveguide device in order to obtain a plurality of polarization mode dispersion values which have a distribution characteristic of a Maxwellian distribution and provide a mean polarization mode dispersion value for the optical waveguide device.
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21 Claims
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1. A method of measuring a polarization mode dispersion optical performance characteristic of an optical waveguide device comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an optical waveguide device comprised of a length of optical waveguide fiber wound under a tension on a spool; (b) applying a force to said spool proximate said wound optical waveguide fiber; (c) relieving said force applied to said spool proximate said wound optical waveguide fiber; (d) measuring the polarization mode dispersion of the optical waveguide device after said force is relieved to obtain a post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement value; (e) recording said post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement value; (f) repeating step (b), step (c), step (d), and step (e) to obtain a Maxwellian distribution of a plurality of recorded post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement values; (g) extracting a mean polarization mode dispersion measurement value from said plurality of recorded post mechanically perturbed polarization mode dispersion measurement values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of qualifying optical waveguide devices for use in an optical telecommunications system in which polarization mode dispersion is managed and minimized, said method comprising:
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providing a spool comprised of a center hub and at least one flange; winding a length of dispersion compensating optical waveguide fiber under tension around the center hub of the spool to obtain multiple overlapping layers of optical waveguide fiber under tension; elastically securing said wound length of fiber around the center hub of the spool; applying a repeatable consistent force to said flange of said spool proximate an outer layer of the overlapping layers of the wound length of fiber; terminating the application of force to said flange; measuring a polarization mode dispersion value of said length of optical waveguide fiber after terminating the application of force to said flange; cyclically repeating said applying, said terminating, and said measuring until the measured polarization mode dispersion values have a statistical distribution characteristic of a Maxwellian distribution. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification