The fixed analyzer method in PMD measurement

The paper theoretically describes Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD), an important parameter in high-speed optical networks. Furthermore, compensation methods and measurement principles are presented. The main attention is paid to the Fixed Analyzer (FA) method, where the setup utilizes common research laboratory equipment. We performed practical PMD measurement with an Anritsu MS9740A optical spectrum analyzer (OSA), in-line polarizers, and a polarization controller. To verify the accuracy of the measurements, a reference measurement (RM) cycle using an EXFO FTB-200 modular platform in combination with an EXFO FTB-5700 CD/PMD module was carried out. Moreover, PMD etalons with defined values of delay were used for the measurement. All results were evaluated and confronted with the defined limit values.