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Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements

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Published on: February 28, 2016

Fast polarization-dependent loss measurement based on continuous polarization modulation.

Bogdan Szafraniec¹, Rüdiger Mästle, Bernd Nebendahl

¹Agilent Laboratories, 5301 Stevens Creek Boulevard, MS 54U-SC, Santa Clara, California 95051, USA. Bogdan_Szafraniec@Agilent.com

|January 20, 2009

Summary

A novel optical measurement technique uses continuous polarization modulation to accurately determine insertion loss and polarization-dependent loss (PDL) in optical components. This method analyzes frequency domain harmonics for precise characterization.

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Area of Science:

Optics and Photonics
Optical Metrology

Background:

Traditional methods for measuring optical component loss, such as Jones matrix and Mueller matrix analysis, rely on sequential polarization state switching.
These sequential methods can be time-consuming and may not capture dynamic changes or spectrally sharp features effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and validate a new, efficient technique for measuring insertion loss and polarization-dependent loss (PDL) in optical components.
To demonstrate the advantages of continuous polarization modulation over traditional sequential methods.

Main Methods:

The proposed technique employs continuous polarization modulation of the stimulus optical field.
It relies on the simultaneous observation of multiple harmonics of the transmitted optical signal in the frequency domain.
The physical theory underpinning this harmonic analysis is presented.

Main Results:

The technique was successfully applied to measure PDL in various optical components, including a polarization modulator, a polarizer, and a PDL standard.
Accurate insertion loss measurements were achieved on an acetylene absorption cell with spectrally sharp features.
The method demonstrates high precision and efficiency compared to conventional approaches.

Conclusions:

The new technique offers a robust and efficient alternative for characterizing optical component performance.
Continuous polarization modulation and frequency domain harmonic analysis provide a powerful tool for optical metrology.
This method is particularly advantageous for components with complex spectral loss characteristics.