Polarization fluctuation measurements on installed single-mode optical fiber cables

Measurements are reported of the polarization fluctuation observed at 1550 nm on samples of cable that Telecom Australia has installed in its interexchange network. The rate of polarization fluctuations is found to be slow, on the order of hours. The fluctuation in the polarization angle is typically in the range of 2-10 degrees each day, with some changes up to about 25 degrees . The results indicate there are no significant limitations on implementing polarization control in a coherent system receiver.>