The Relative Tolerances of Polarization Multiplex on Long Optical Paths

The article deals with the possibilities of using polarization division multiplex technology from a practical point of view. By being able to deploy it into existing networks, it is possible to increase transmission capacity without significant financial investment. Current high-speed optical networks use it mainly in combination with suitable modulation technology and enable transmissions at speeds of the order of hundreds of Gbps and low latency. The work describes measurements on different lengths of optical paths and verifies the functionality of the polarization division multiplex for long paths. The article shows that polarization division multiplex is an ideal technology for use in metropolitan or university networks, or in networks for medical systems. It is also very suitable for routes over very long distances, for example on transcontinental routes laid on the ocean floor, where the laying of new fibers would be very costly. It can also be used in access networks for end users, to whom it will make available transmission speeds in the order of hundreds of Mbps to Gbps units.