Analysis of pulse broadening induced by the second-order PMD

We propose a new conception of depolarization vector to describe the effect of depolarization induced by the second-order polarization mode dispersion (PMD). Deriving the formula of pulse broadening induced by the second-order PMD, we find that the polarization-dependent chromatic dispersion (PCD) always enhances the pulse broadening. However the depolarization vector decreases the pulse broadening. The pulse broadening is correlated with the bit-rate of a transmission system. By adjusting the directions of the Stokes vector of initial state of polarization, initial first-order polarization dispersion vector and depolarization vector to be parallel to each other,one can obtain an optimum dispersion compensation. But when the PCD is not equal to zero, the optimum dispersion cannot achieve a complete compensation,and the minimum pulse broadening is equal to \sigma= (2^1/2/4)(DCF/T₀).