Method and apparatus for measuring polarization-mode dispersion
First Claim
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1. A method of determining the polarization-mode dispersion in an optical device comprising the steps of:
- generating a first pump laser beam with a fixed wavelength;
generating a probe laser beam with a second fixed wavelength and the same input polarization direction as said first pump laser beam;
generating a second pump laser beam having a variable wavelength and a polarization direction orthogonal to the first pump laser beam and the probe laser beam;
launching the first and second pump laser beams and said probe laser beam into an optical device to generate three output signals;
inputting the three output signals into a semiconductor optical amplifier to generate four-wave mixing products dependent upon the polarization-mode dispersion of the device; and
computing the average polarization-mode dispersion of the device by measuring the power of the four-wave mixing versus the wavelength of the second pump laser beam.
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Abstract
Polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) of an optical device, i.e. fiber or component is effected by launching a first pump laser beam of a fixed wavelength, a probe laser beam with a second fixed wavelength and a second pump laser beam having a variable wavelength and a polarization direction orthogonal to the other two beams into an optical device to generate three output signals which are input into a semiconductor optical amplifier to generate four-wave mixing (FWM) products. The average PMD of the device is computed by measuring the power of the FWM products versus the wavelength of the second pump laser beam.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of determining the polarization-mode dispersion in an optical device comprising the steps of:
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generating a first pump laser beam with a fixed wavelength;
generating a probe laser beam with a second fixed wavelength and the same input polarization direction as said first pump laser beam;
generating a second pump laser beam having a variable wavelength and a polarization direction orthogonal to the first pump laser beam and the probe laser beam;
launching the first and second pump laser beams and said probe laser beam into an optical device to generate three output signals;
inputting the three output signals into a semiconductor optical amplifier to generate four-wave mixing products dependent upon the polarization-mode dispersion of the device; and
computing the average polarization-mode dispersion of the device by measuring the power of the four-wave mixing versus the wavelength of the second pump laser beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for determining the polarization-mode dispersion in an optical device comprising:
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first laser means for generating a first pump laser beam with a fixed wavelength;
second probe laser means for generating a probe laser beam with a second fixed wavelength and the same input polarization direction as said first pump laser beam;
third laser means for generating a second pump laser beam having a variable wavelength and a polarization direction orthogonal to the first pump laser beam and the probe laser beam;
polarization beam splitter means for receiving said first pump, said probe and said second pump beams, and relaying said beams through an optical device under test to generate three output signals;
semiconductor optical amplifier means for receiving said output signals and generating four-wave mixing products dependent upon the polarization-mode dispersion of the device; and
analyzer means for computing the polarization-mode dispersion of the device under test by measuring the power of the four-wave mixing products versus the wavelength of the second pump laser beam. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification