Broadband polarization correction with programmable liquid-crystal modulator arrays

We demonstrate a novel method of parallel, multiwavelength state-of-polarization (SOP) correction. Using a new liquid-crystal modulator array design, we are able to rotate the distorted input SOP spectrum to a fixed linear state on a wavelength-by-wavelength basis. We report experimental correction of up to 25.5-dB polarization-dependent loss over a 13-nm bandwidth around 1550 nm.