Virtual Generalized Mueller Matrix Method for Measurement of Complex Polarization-Mode Dispersion Vector in Optical Fibers

A virtual generalized Mueller matrix method (VGMMM) is proposed to measure the complex polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) vector in a fiber system with polarization-dependent loss or gain. VGMMM can attain the low-noise high-resolution PMD data using a relatively large frequency step, without the knowledge of input polarization states. VGMMM combines the advantages of both matrix-based methods and differentiation-based methods and overcomes their shortcomings. Experimental results on a fiber system confirm the validity and accuracy of VGMMM