Method and apparatus for automatic compensation of first-order polarization mode dispersion (PMD)

The effect of polarization mode dispersion that an optical signal experiences as it propagates through an optical transmission fiber is compensated for at a receiver using a birefringent compensator, in which the compensator automatically and adaptively generates a level of differential time delay that substantially equals the differential time delay that the optical signal experiences, but of different sign, and, therefore, essentially cancels out the undesired delay.