Solitons and polarization mode dispersion

Summary form only given. Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is an effect that will present increasingly greater challenges to fiber communications as the bit-rates are raised. Several papers have dealt with the effect of first order polarization mode dispersion (FOPMD) on the propagation of solitons. The solitons in this case are of the Manakov type of polarization, that changes during propagation. The two pulse components along the two principal polarizations experience an attractive force due to the index-well produced by the Kerr effect. This attractive force counteracts the effect of PMD.