title: Fluctuations of Bit-Error-Rate with randomly varying birefringence in optical fibers.
abstract: We study the fluctuations of the bit-error-rate in optical communication systems by taking into account the polarization mode dispersion. We demonstrate analytically and numerically that the probability distribution function of bit-error-rate possesses an extended algebraic tail in the presence of weak birefringent disorder in the fiber. The characteristics of the probability distribution function also depend on the electrical filter temporal width. For weak birefringent disorder, our numerical simulations show that the probability distribution function contains a longer algebraic regime if the smaller size of electrical filter temporal width is used.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chung