Systems and methods for polarization mode dispersion mitigation

1. A system for correcting polarization mode dispersion in an optical signal, said system comprising:

a polarization beam splitter for splitting a received optical signal into a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first and second portions have different principal polarizations;

a first optical detector for converting said first portion to a first electrical signal;

a second optical detector for converting said second portion to a second electrical signal;

a tuner for delaying said second electrical signal with respect to said first electrical signal; and

a combiner coupled to said first optical detector and said tuner, for outputting a fixed output electrical signal in response to receiving said first electrical signal and said delayed second electrical signal.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a tunable reflector to reflect said second portion of said optical signal from said polarization beam splitter to said second optical detector.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a collimator to align optical rays of said optical signal in a common direction.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a polarization controller for orienting principal states of polarization of said optical signal to match polarization axes of said polarization beam splitter.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

wherein said tuner delays said second electrical signal to correct a differential group delay of said optical signal using a tunable electronic delay device.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein a combiner combines said first electrical signal and a delayed second electrical signal to produce a fixed output electrical signal.

7. A optical signal correction method, said method, comprising:

receiving an optical signal via an optical line;

measuring a relative change in spectral intensity of said optical signal;

determining a differential group delay of said optical line based, in part, on said measured relative change in spectral intensity of said optical signal; and

controlling at least one optical component optically coupled to said optical line to reduce said relative change in spectral intensity of said optical signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein measuring a relative change in spectral intensity comprises measuring a relative change in spectral intensity of said optical signal near a clock frequency.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein measuring a relative change in spectral intensity is performed while varying a polarization of said optical signal between a first state of polarization and a second state of polarization.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling at least one optical component calibrates said differential group delay of said optical line.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling at least one optical component comprises controlling at least one optical component optically coupled to said optical line to reduce said relative change in spectral intensity of said optical signal near a clock frequency between a first state of polarization and a second state of polarization.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein said optical signal comprises a pseudo-random binary sequence non-return-to-zero signal.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein said optical signal comprises a modulation frequency and a scrambling frequency.

14. An optical signal correction method, said method comprising:

receiving an optical signal at a polarization mode dispersion (PMD) measurement and control unit and at a fiber circulator;

measuring a PMD of said optical signal at said PMD measurement and control unit;

transmitting said optical signal received at said fiber circulator through a cascade of free-space optical elements;

controlling said cascaded free-space optical elements as said optical signal travels through said cascaded free-space optical elements in a forward direction away from said fiber circulator;

reflecting said optical signal to travel in a reverse direction toward said fiber circulator when said optical signal has reached a reflective device located at the end of said cascade of free-space optical elements;

controlling said cascaded free-space optical elements as said optical signal travels through said cascaded free-space optical elements in a reverse direction toward said fiber circulator; and

outputting said optical signal after said optical signal traveling in said reverse direction toward said fiber circulator reaches said fiber circulator;

wherein measuring a PMD of said optical signal comprises at least one of:

measuring a spectral intensity of a sideband of said optical signal;

measuring a spectral intensity at a clock frequency or half of a clock frequency; and

measuring a relative change in spectral intensity of said optical signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said free-space optical elements through which said optical signal travels comprise collimators, polarization controllers, birefringent crystals, and tunable λ/2 plates.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein controlling said cascaded free-space optical elements comprises controlling said tunable λ/2 plates or said polarization controllers to reduce said PMD of said optical signal.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein said reflective device may be selected from a group comprising:

a mirror; and

a highly reflective coating on a crystal.