Experimental and theoretical modeling of polarization-mode dispersion in single-mode fibers

The random coupling-length basis was used in the numerical simulation of si ngle-mode fibers (SMF's) with the coarse step method. We show that a single set of coupling lengths, angles and phases accounts for bath, the Maxwelli an statistics and the nonperiodical differential group delay spectral depen dence in agreement with experimental observations. An SMF and a polarizatio n mode dispersion (PMD) emulator were both measured and simulated. The comp arison between the experimental results and numerical simulations shows tha t the random coupling-lengths mathematical model and the emulator device pr ovide good descriptions either for the first-order PMD statistics or second -order PMD, being powerful tools for the simulation of signal distortion.