PMD compensation using a fuzzy automatic polarization controller

A new first-order polarization mode dispersion (PMD) compensation technique is experimentally demonstrated in a 2.5 Gbit/s optical transmission system. It achieves adaptive compensation over a wide range of differential group delay (DGD) values, since it does not try to compensate it, but to eliminate one of the principal states of polarization by means of a liquid crystal polarization controller and a polarizer. The PMD parameters of the received signal are measured in real time through its spectrum analysis, and used as the feedback signal in a fuzzy logic algorithm controlling the liquid crystal device. The algorithm achieves a response time faster than the PMD variations in real links, also featuring endless operation. Moreover, a deterministic compact PMD emulator has been implemented in order to test the PMD compensator system.