International fiber measurements comparison done

17 Jun 2002

An international round robin to assess the quality of measurements of polarization mode dispersion in optical fibers has been carried out by 16 participants in the fiber manufacturing and instrumentation industries. Polarization mode dispersion can limit transmission capacity of optical fiber communication links. PMD results when birefringence in the fiber causes a light pulse's propagation speed to be a function of its polarization state.

Over long distances, these pulses may interfere with the pulse ahead or behind, causing errors. Accurate measurement of PMD in both optical fibers and other components is essential to determine a communication system's capacity and to design long-haul systems with optimal spacing between signal-conditioning amplifiers. The manufacturers in the United States, Europe and Japan who participated in the round robin each measured PMD in three specimens using up to four different measurement methods.