PCD-003 Polarization Scrambler Module for the C Band

The PCD-003 Polarization Scrambler Module rapidly randomizes the instantaneous polarization state of output light to achieve a time-averaged depolarization effect in the C band. The manufacturer has discontinued this product and lists the PCD-005 and PCD-104 polarization scramblers as replacements.

The module combines a fiber squeezer polarization controller with specialized driver electronics to achieve uniform Poincaré sphere coverage in a few milliseconds. Because it uses the resonance frequencies of the polarization controller, the scrambling rate is fixed.

The all-fiber construction gives low insertion loss and low back reflection, along with minimal residual phase and amplitude modulation. The PCD-003 is a simple module that is enabled as long as it is powered on; total power consumption is typically less than 10 W.

Polarization scrambling is used where a quasi-depolarized signal is required, particularly with long coherence length sources for which a passive depolarizer is not suitable. Scrambling the input polarization can remove measurement uncertainty caused by the polarization sensitivity of a device under test, suppress performance degradation from polarization dependent gain in optical amplifiers, and facilitate PMD monitoring in systems.