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Abstract

A polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensator compensates for PMD in an optical signal by an automatic tracking of a principal state of polarization (PSP). A polarization controller (PC) receives a dithering optical signal including first and second principal states of polarization (PSPs) and PMD distortion received by the PMD compensator. The PC transforms the first and second PSPs into linearly polarized components, and is responsive to a feedback control signal for aligning the linearly polarized first and second PSPs to first and second polarization axes of the PBS, respectively. A polarization beam splitter (PBS) directs first polarized components of the received dithering optical signal onto a first output path, and directs second orthogonally polarized components of the received dithering optical signal onto a second output path for transmission as a PMD compensator output signal. A compensation control arrangement is responsive to both the received dithering optical signal and the first polarized components from the PBS for measuring interference characteristics of the two PSPs, and for generating the feedback control signal to the PC for aligning each of the PSPs with a corresponding one of first and second polarization axes of the PBS based on the measured interference characteristics.

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