PROBABILITY DENSITY-FUNCTIONS OF OPTICAL POLARIZATION STATES - THEORYAND APPLICATIONS

We introduce the concept of probability density functions of polarizat ion states for a more systematical approach of depolarization and the evolution of polarization in optical fiber. This concept is useful whe n polarization is a random function of wavelength, time and/or distanc e, like in depolarizers and in low-birefringent optical fiber. We give three examples of such probability density functions and present thre e applications.