PMD-PDL Emulator Designs for Low Interchannel Correlation

We report the design of limited sections of polarization-mode dispersion and polarization-dependent loss (PMD-PDL) emulators that lead to the lowest averaged frequency interchannel correlation in the wavelength-division-multiplexed systems. We show that emulators with the elements with the minimum PMD and PDL values at the end of the emulator setting with respect to the light propagation have the lowest averaged frequency autocorrelation in the neighboring channels, therefore, the lowest averaged frequency interchannel correlation. Both experiments and simulations are performed to confirm the design principle