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Spinning a fiber is the most viable and used technique to reduce polarization mode dispersion (PMD). Many papers have shown that by properly tuning the spin parameters, the differential group delay (DGD) of spun fibers can be greatly reduced. However, the precision with which these optimal profiles are practically implemented may be a problem. In this paper, we perform a statistical analysis of the effects that spin inaccuracy may have on fiber PMD, quantifying how the random uncertainty on spin parameters impairs the DGD. Some preliminary experimental results about spin-induced PMD reduction are also reported.

Polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) causes significant impairment for high bit-rate optical telecommunications systems. It is known that PMD can be strongly reduced by spinning the fiber as it is drawn. In this paper, we focus on the case of randomly birefringent fibers spun at a constant rate, providing analytical expressions for the asymptotic statistical properties of PMD. In particular, we investigate the behavior of the first- and second-order PMD, demonstrating that a constantly spun fiber behaves asymptotically as an unspun fiber. Conversely, we show that the distance at which the PMD reaches its asymptotic trend increases with the spin rate up to lengths of several kilometers.

Spun fibers are increasingly used in telecommunication systems because their polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) is lower than that in unspun fibers. In this paper, we investigate the effects of a periodic spin on the PMD of fibers with randomly varying birefringence. Numerical simulations show that when the spin period is of the same order as or larger than the beat length, the mean differential group delay of a spun fiber depends on the model used for the random birefringence. We then carry out a general theoretical analysis using the second Wai-Menyuk model, which is the only model of fiber birefringence to date that is consistent with polarization optical time domain reflectometry data. Finally, we consider some particular regimes by means of a perturbative approach.

Polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) is a serious impairment for high-bit-rate optical telecommunication systems. It is known that spinning the fiber during the drawing process drastically reduces the PMD. However, the analysis of pulse propagation through a randomly birefringent spun fiber is still at an early stage. In this paper, we derive an analytical formula for the mean differential group delay of a periodically spun fiber with random birefringence. We model the birefringence with fixed modulus and a random orientation under the condition that the spin period is shorter than the beat length. Finally, we numerically compare the analytical results with those given by the random-modulus model of birefringence, and we obtain good agreement as long as the short-period assumption is satisfied.

It is known that the differential group delay (DGD) due to polarization mode dispersion (PMD) can be effectively reduced by spinning the fiber during drawing. In this paper, we propose an analytical approach that allows optimization of the spinning design. The fundamental idea is that, in the absence of polarization coupling, an optimized spinning profile can balance the effects of the intrinsic linear birefringence so that the differential group delay can be forced to be periodic and, consequently, have a limited amplitude as a function of distance. Our approach Is independent of the spin profile. In other words, with a fixed set of parameters that characterize a particular spin function, we are able to find analytically the values corresponding to a periodic DGD in a deterministic regime. Numerical results based on waveplate model confirm the analytical prediction and show that PMD can be reduced by about two orders of magnitude with respect to the same fiber without spinning, even after the introduction of random polarization coupling.

Standard PMD measurement techniques are inaccurate for low DGD values. Thus, the measurements are usually repeated several times while randomly perturbing the fiber. We experimentally validate this approach by means of polarization sensitive reflectometric measurements.

Optical fiber links made by concatenating unidirectionally spun fibers with alternate helicities are considered. The polarization mode dispersion of such links is thoroughly analyzed, and it is shown that with a proper design of the link, substantial differential group delay (DGD) reduction can be achieved. In particular, the highest performance is attained when a well-defined balance condition is satisfied. By relaxing this condition, a tradeoff between the complexity of the link structure and the DGD reduction can be achieved as well

We investigate the DGD behavior in optical fiber links made by concatenation of unidirectionally spun fibers with alternate helicity. We show that the mean value of the asymptotic DGD can be managed and estimated.

The spinning of single-mode telecommunication fibers is a technique currently and widely used to reduce polarization mode dispersion. Yet, this technique was originally envisaged as a way to produce fibers with arbitrarily low birefringence, to be used in sensor applications. In spite of their applicative significance, spun fibers are still not completely understood. In this paper, we report an extensive analysis of the polarization properties of spun fiber. Both unidirectional and periodic spin profiles are considered. It is shown that very high polarization maintaining capabilities may be achieved by properly tuning the spin parameters.

We show that the differential group delay of randomly birefringent periodically spun fibers, depends strongly on the model used for the birefringence. Overly simple models may overestimate the benefit of spin in reducing polarization mode dispersion.

We show analytically how periodic spinning affects the polarization mode dispersion of a fiber in three different practical regimes that are determined by the values of three length scales: the beat length, the birefringence correlation length, and the spin period. We determine in which limits the spin is effective in reducing the mean differential group delay.

We calculate the asymptotic first-order polarization mode dispersion statistics of constantly spun fibers. We show that in the long length regime the mean differential group delay of constantly spun fibers grows linearly with distance at the same rate as for unspun fibers. Conversely, the short length regime of constantly spun fibers may be much longer, even for limited spin rates.

We consider the two Wai-Menyuk models of birefringence in periodically spun fibers, and we show that the differential group delay differs significantly for the two models when the spin period approaches or exceeds the fiber beat length. When the fiber correlation length is large, we explain this difference quantitatively, and we explain it qualitatively for any fiber correlation length.

We present beat length and polarization mode dispersion (PMD) measurements performed on installed fibers. Results regard three different kinds of fibers: standard step index, dispersion shifted and nonzero dispersion (NZD). After a historical comparison with standard differential group delay measurement collected four years ago on the same fibers, we perform a spatial-resolved measurement of the beat length by analyzing the state of polarization of the backscattered field. We compare PMD properties of different fibers and calculate the statistical distribution of the beat length. The differential group delay (DGD) and the beat length statistics depend strongly on fiber type and on fiber position along the link. The influence of the beat length on the DGD is also discussed.