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Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring at least one polarization-related characteristic of an optical path (FUT) uses an optical source means connected to the FUT at or adjacent a proximal end of the FUT and an analyzing-and-detection unit connected to the FUT at or adjacent its proximal or distal end. The optical source means injects into the FUT at least partially polarized light having a controlled state of polarization (I-SOP). The analyzer-and-detection unit extracts corresponding light from the FUT, analyzes and detects the extracted light corresponding to at least one transmission axis (A-SOP), and processes the corresponding electrical signal to obtain transmitted coherent optical power at each wavelength of light in each of at least two groups of wavelengths, wherein the lowermost (.lamda..sub.l) and uppermost (.lamda..sub.U) said wavelengths in each said group of wavelengths are closely-spaced. A processing unit than computes at least one difference in a measured power parameter corresponding to each wavelength in a wavelength pair for each of the at least two groups, the measured power parameter being proportional to the power of the said analyzed and subsequently detected light, thereby defining a set of at least two measured power parameter differences; computes the mean-square value of said set of differences; and calculating the at least one polarization-related FUT characteristic as at least one predetermined function of said mean-square value, the predetermined function being dependent upon the small optical frequency difference between the wavelengths corresponding to the said each at least said two pairs of closely-spaced wavelengths.

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