Time-resolved Mueller matrix measurement and polarization scrambler characterization

We measure Mueller matrices of optical devices with a 6-ns temporal resolution. Achieved accuracy is indicated by the newly defined mean depolarization. It is greatly improved by setting the degree-of-polarization to 1. We characterize a differential phase modulator and a rotating halfwave plate. The latter is part of a polarization scrambler. Rayleigh-like and peaked polarization speed distributions are investigated theoretically and experimentally. With the peaked ones we demonstrate the 100-times accelerated testing of a polarization-tracking receiver.

I. Introduction

Modern polarization-multiplexed optical communication systems [1] rely on many components which depend on, or influence, polarization, including but not limited to fast [2] electronic polarization and PMD tracking equalizers. Intensity transfer functions can be measured with high-speed oscilloscopes up to the multi-GHz range. The same holds for field transfer functions if coherent receivers are being used, but cost and accuracy are problematic.