Nonlinear evolution of the polarization states in WDM channels

Summary form only given. The combination of polarization-dependent loss (PDL), polarization-dependent gain (PDG), and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) all contribute to fading in high-data-rate, long-distance WDM systems. In this contribution, we use the Manakov equation, which includes the effects of chromatic dispersion and nonlinearity, to determine the polarization evolution in a WDM system. In the limit of highly dispersive channels, we find an analytical formula for the polarization evolution in each channel, and we show that the degree of polarization in each channel is unchanged.