Abstract: A method for the rapid measurement of polarization dependent properties of an optical device under test uses a novel technique to generate light in four different polarization states in which each state is individually sensed at a different interference frequency. The device for executing this method includes a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (M-Z) having a reference arm and a signal arm. In the signal arm, a device called a “polarization state frequency multiplexer” (PSFM) splits the light into four ports, transforms each part into one of four predetermined polarization states and then combines the light in the different polarization states together. The combined light is then passed through the device under test and combined/interfered with the light propagating through the reference arm at the output of the M-Z interferometer.

Abstract: A method for the rapid measurement of polarization dependent properties of an optical device under test uses a novel technique to generate light in four different polarization states in which each state is individually sensed at a different interference frequency.

Abstract: In order to calibrate an apparatus for measuring the polarization dependent loss of an optical device under test, a set of nominal polarization states of incident light are generated with a polarization generator. The incident light is then passed through a dot-product conserving polarization rotator at a first setting. A transmission characteristic is measured through a standard optical component with a known polarization dependent loss value for each polarization state. This step is repeated for a number of different settings of the polarization rotator. A polarization dependent loss value is calculated for the standard optical component based on the measured transmission characteristics at each polarization rotator setting. The calculated polarization dependent loss values are then processed to generate an aggregate error value.