Renormalized multicanonical sampling in multiple dimensions.

This paper extends to two and three dimensions the recently proposed renormalized multicanonical sampling procedure [D. Yevick, Int. J.

Geometric algebra description of polarization mode dispersion, polarization-dependent loss, and Stokes tensor transformations.

This paper demonstrates that numerous calculations involving polarization transformations can be condensed by employing suitable geometric algebra formalism. For example, to describe polarization mode dispersion and polarization-dependent loss, both the material birefringence and differential loss enter as bivectors and can be combined into a single symmetric quantity. Their frequency and distance evolution, as well as that of the Stokes vector through an optical system, can then each be expressed as a single compact expression, in contrast to the corresponding Mueller matrix formulations.

Improved degree of polarization-based differential group delay measurements.

The time-averaged Stokes vectors obtained after polarization-scrambled light containing multiple, independently polarized frequency components traverses an optical fiber collectively form a surface in Stokes space. The geometry of this surface can be directly related to the polarization mode dispersion of the fiber. This paper examines both numerically and experimentally an improved method for performing such measurements.

Temperature effects in optical fiber dispersion compensation modules.

Differential group delay measurements of a fiber-based dispersion compensation module under different controlled temperature variations experience long birefringence relaxation times (>10  h) in response to temperature changes. These are interpreted here qualitatively with a stress strain behavioral model based on silica's viscoelastic property.

PMD correlation properties in the hinge model.

We demonstrate that within the framework of the hinge model, the polarization mode dispersion (PMD) vector correlation function averaged over time and wavelength is only appreciably affected by the position of the last hinge. Further, the correlation function width is found within the context of a standard hinge model to decrease nearly monotonically with the number of hinges. We finally derive, through a theoretical analysis, an upper bound for the mean squared differential group delay of the last fiber section in the link in terms of the correlation function.