Effect of PDL on the DOP feedback signal in PMD compensation

The impact of polarization dependence loss (PDL) on the degree of polarization (DOP) feedback signal in polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensation is analyzed. PDL affects DOP only in the presence of PMD, and in the presence of PMD and PDL, DOP relates not only to both PMD and PDL vectors but also to the principal states of polarization (SOPs) components of the output signal; on the other hand, it adds new frequency dependence and is no longer independent of system bit rate. The PDL minimum endangering PMD compensation is determined by the step size of the PMD compensating algorithm and the differential group delay (DGD) value in optical fiber systems. DOP could no longer act as the feedback signal in PMD compensation unless the PDL in the fiber system has been effectively eliminated before PMD compensation.