Measurements of polarization mode dispersion on aerial optical cables: Theory and experiments

Abstract Higher bit-rate transmission is attractive for improving network resource efficiency and reducing the complexity of network management in future transmission systems. However, chromatic dispersion and Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD) are one of the most serious impairments. In particular, PMD changes rapidly according to environmental variations such as temperature change and mechanical vibration. This study presents PMD measurements in a mixed aerial and buried optical longhaul network. PMD was measured as a part of a thorough analysis, in order to assess the possibility of deploying, in this actual route, a DWDM network based on 10 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s carriers long haul network based on DWDM technology PMD was measured as a part of the previous analysis, in order to assess the possibility of deploying routes based on 10 Gb/s carriers and on 40 Gb/s carriers. Changes of PMD were mainly introduced by external factors (such as temperature), but also by changes in the wind speed that significantly contributed to changes in Differential Group Delay (DGD), causing side-effects such as bending, transverse pressure or twists on the fiber hauls. In this study we will focus on the effects over PMD caused by the wind speed and its relevant impact on the aerial hauls, where the influence is significant. A quantitative comparison between data obtained from real measurements and data obtained from analytical approaches will be established.