Abstract

We propose a method to measure the Jones matrix of the transmission medium without violating the unitarity of the matrix. Our method consists of defining the normalized Jones matrix each time the unitarity is lost by experimental error. Numerical simulation is performed to show the feasibility of the proposed method. The method is applied to polarization-mode dispersion analysis. We derive an explicit expression that allows us to evaluate the polarization-mode dispersion vector directly from the elements of the Jones matrix. We also introduce a parameter ∑ to determine a suitable wavelength step size for the measurement of the differential group delay of the principal states of polarization.

© 1997 Optical Society of America

Jones matrix of polarization mode dispersion

Denis Penninckx and Vincent Morénas
Opt. Lett. 24(13) 875-877 (1999)

Measurement of the complex polarization mode dispersion vector using Jones matrix analysis

Trung Do, Hui Dong, and Ping Shum
Appl. Opt. 46(6) 916-921 (2007)

Jones matrix for second-order polarization mode dispersion

H. Kogelnik, L. E. Nelson, J. P. Gordon, and R. M. Jopson
Opt. Lett. 25(1) 19-21 (2000)

Accurate Jones matrix expansion for all orders of polarization mode dispersion

Fred Heismann
Opt. Lett. 28(21) 2013-2015 (2003)

Measurement of a parameter limiting the analysis of the first-order polarization-mode dispersion effect

Osamu Aso
Opt. Lett. 23(14) 1102-1104 (1998)