Polarization-mode dispersion in optical fiber with wavelength division multiplexing during the lightning stroke

Abstract

In this paper it is considered the problem of exposure of lightning strokes upon optical fiber without metal in cable design. The wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems development with increasing number of carriers brought to transmission in the same transparency window some tens or hundreds waves. The polarization plane rotation during the lightning stroke will be different for each wave: the short waves rotated greater then the long waves. The long waves will have in preference the vertical polarization and the short waves will have horizontal polarization. On input of optical amplifier a packet of waves with different polarizations will appear, and it can produce problems to filters, optical insulators and amplifiers. Other result of influence of lightning there will be additional polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). PMD of such nature can produce problems under interaction with time division multiplexing (TDM) and synchronization under a high rate of transmission.