Calculations of outage probabilities due to PMD using importance sampling

The tails of the differential group delays (DGD) probability distribution due to polarization mode dispersion (PMD) was computed using Monte-Carlo simulations. The technique was applied to PMD compensators with an rotatable polarization controller and a single fixed DGD element. The optimum DGD values of the compensator's fixed DGD element reduced the outage probability by several orders of magnitude. PMD compensators with single DGD element reduced the average pulse spreading and the average bit error rate (BER) of optical systems.