The General interferometry technique: Interferogram analysis in the presence of a high polarization mode dispersion segment

The General interferometry technique (GINTY) is used to measure the mean PMD of an entire fibre link. In this paper, we analyse the GINTY interferogram envelopes in the presence of an adjustable high polarization mode dispersion (HiPMD) segment. Experimental results show that the GINTY interferogram will develop two symmetric satellite interferogram envelopes and one central interferogram envelope in the presence of a HiPMD segment. Further increases in the PMD of the HiPMD segment results in the two satellite envelopes drifting in opposite directions by an equal amount whilst the central envelope remains fixed in position. Therefore GINTY can be used to detect the presence of a HiPMD segment, although unlike the polarization-optical time domain reflectometry technique (P-OTDR) it cannot give the exact location of the HiPMD segment.