Polarization Dependent Loss

Polarization dependent loss (PDL) refers to the difference in the maximum and minimum variation in transmission or insertion loss of an optical device over all states of polarization (SOP) and is expressed in decibels.

A typical PDL for a simple optical connector is less than .05 dB and varies from component to component. Typically, the PDL for an optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) is around 0.3 dB. The complete polarization characterization of optical signals and components can be determined using an optical polarization analyzer.

August 27, 2011

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