Polarization mode dispersion in a single mode fiber

The Jones matrix method is used to measure the polarization mode dispersion (PMD) of a large variety of single mode fibers in the 1500 nm range. The dependence of PMD on wavelength, time, and temperature are studied in two different regimes: adiabatic and isothermal. In the adiabatic regime, time dependent stresses are introduced in the fiber by subjecting it to large and rapid changes in temperature. In this regime it is shown that the probability density function of PMD, obtained as a function of temperature and wavelength, fits very closely the theoretically predicted Maxwellian function. In the isothermal regime, the temperature of the fiber is held constant and the stresses are allowed to relax to their long term steady state conditions. In this regime the PMD exhibits a strong dependence on wavelength but otherwise is a bounded function which is nearly stationary with time. Test and analysis of the deterministic PMD in a specially constructed polarization maintaining fiber are used to study the dependence of PMD on temperature and wavelength. Finally, the system implications of this PMD study are described briefly