S-matrix representation of polarisation dependent fibre optic couplers for the simulation of optical networks

Optical networks can be analysed with the same methods as microwave networks if it is taken into account that optical signals can propagate in two different orthogonally polarised modes. The most appropriate way to accomplish this, is to use Jones vectors to represent the optical signal. In the theory of microwave networks, components are generally represented by complex scattering parameters which form the S-matrix of the device and represent the change of amplitude and phase of the signal propagating between the different ports. We adapted this formalism to fibre optic couplers used in optical networks, taking the polarization dependence of the devices into account. This enables the calculation of polarization effects in fibre optic communication networks and the exact simulation of fibre optic interferometric sensors.