Representation of second-order polarisation mode dispersion

A new expansion for the Jones matrix of a transmission medium is used to describe high-order polarisation dispersion. Each term in the expansion is characterised by a pair of principal states and the corresponding dispersion parameters. With these descriptors, a new expression for pulse deformation is derived and confirmed by simulation

Statistical determination of the length dependence of high-order polarization mode dispersion

We describe a method of characterizing high-order polarization mode dispersion (PMD).Using a new expansion to approximate the Jones matrix of a polarization-dispersive medium, we study the length dependence of high-order PMD to the fourth order. A simple rule for the asymptotic behavior of PMD for short and long fibers is found. It is also shown that, in long fibers (~1000 km), at 40 Gbits/s the third- and fourth-order PMD may become comparable to the second-order PMD