Demanding response time requirements on coherent receivers due to fast polarization rotations caused by lightning events
Open accessAbstract
Lightning events can cause fast polarization rotations and phase changes in optical transmission fibers due to strong electrical currents and magnetic fields. Whereas these are unlikely to affect legacy transmission systems with direct detection, different mechanisms have to be considered in systems with local oscillator based coherent receivers and digital signal processing. A theoretical analysis reveals that lightning events can result in polarization rotations with speeds as fast as a few hundred kRad/s. We discuss possible mechanisms how such lightning events can affect coherent receivers with digital signal processing. In experimental investigations with a high current pulse generator and transponder prototypes, we observed post FEC errors after polarization rotation events which can be expected from lightning strikes.
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Lightning strikes occurring near underground fiber cables or hitting aerial fibers can induce extremely rapid (krad/s to Mrad/s) polarization rotations due to the Faraday effect.
“Lightning strikes occurring near underground fiber cables or hitting aerial fibers can induce extremely rapid (krad/s to Mrad/s) polarization rotations due to the Faraday effect [52].”
From Overview on the state of polarization sensing: application scenarios and anomaly detection algorithms (2025) · cites this paper as [52]
The Introduction and §2.1 describe Faraday-effect polarization rotations from lightning near buried fiber cables and direct hits on aerial ground-wire cables. Section 2.1 predicts speeds above 100 krad/s, and the Abstract says speeds can reach a few hundred krad/s; the cited paper does not substantiate the claimed Mrad/s range for lightning-induced rotations. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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Research works printed but not linked: 12
- [1]N. E. Hecker, E. Gottwald, K. Kotten, C.-J. Weiske, A. Schöpflin, P. M. Krummrich, and C. Glingener, “Automated polarization control demonstrated in a 1.28 Tbit/s (16x2x40 Gbit/s) polarization multiplexed DWDM field trial,” in 27th European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC, 2001), paper Mo.L.3. Crossref
- [2]J. Wuttke, P. M. Krummrich, and J. Rösch, “Polarization oscillations in aerial fiber caused by wind and power-line current,” IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett. 15(6), 882–884 (2003). Crossref
- [3]P. M. Krummrich and K. Kotten, “Extremely fast (microsecond timescale) polarization changes in high speed long haul WDM transmission systems,” in Conference on Optical Fiber Communication (OFC, 2004), paper FI3.
- [4]P. M. Krummrich, E.-D. Schmidt, W. Weiershausen, and A. Mattheus, “Field trial results on statistics of fast polarization changes in long haul WDM transmission systems,“ in Conference on Optical Fiber Communication (OFC, 2005), paper OThT6. Crossref
- [5]M. G. Taylor, “Coherent detection method using DSP for demodulation of signal and subsequent equalization of propagation impairments,” IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett. 16(2), 674–676 (2004). Crossref
- [6]D. S. Ly-Gagnon, K. Katoh, and K. Kikuchi, “Unrepeated 210-km transmission with coherent detection and digital signal processing of 20-Gb/s QPSK signal,” in Conference on Optical Fiber Communication (OFC, 2005), paper OTuL4. Crossref
- [7]M. Kurono, M. Kuribara, and K. Isawa, “Field measurements and a study of transient state of polarization produced in OPGW by lightning,” Electr. Eng. Jpn. 128(4), 55–64 (1999). Crossref
- [8]S. M. Pietralunga, J. Colombelli, A. Fellegara, and M. Martinelli, “Fast polarization effects in optical aerial cables caused by lightning and impulse current,” IEEE Photonics Technol. Lett. 16(11), 2583–2585 (2004). Crossref
- [9]V. A. Rakov and M. A. Uman, Lightning: Physics and Effects (Cambridge University Press, 2007), Chap. 5.
- [10]W. R. Gamerota, J. O. Elismé, M. A. Uman, and V. A. Rakov, “Current waveforms for lightning simulation,” IEEE Trans. Electromagn. Compat. 54(4), 880–888 (2012). Crossref
- [11]J. L. Cruz, M. V. Andres, and M. A. Hernandez, “Faraday effect in standard optical fibers: dispersion of the effective Verdet constant,” Appl. Opt. 35(6), 922–927 (1996). Crossref
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Natalino, C., Schiano, M., Di Giglio, A., Wosinska, L., & Furdek, M. (2019) · Journal of Lightwave Technology · doi:10.1109/jlt.2019.2923558 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Pellegrini, S., Minelli, L., Andrenacci, L., Rizzelli, G., Pilori, D., Bosco, G., Della Chiesa, L., Crognale, C., Piciaccia, S., & Gaudino, R. (2025) · Journal of Optical Communications and Networking · doi:10.1364/jocn.537881 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
- Authors
- Krummrich, P. M., Ronnenberg, D., Schairer, W., Wienold, D., Jenau, F., & Herrmann, M.
- Affiliations
- TU Dortmund University (DE)
- Coriant (Germany) (DE)
- Venue
- Optics Express
- Publisher
- Optica Publishing Group
- Published
- 2016-05-27
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 12442
- ISSN
- 1094-4087 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2396545111
- Cited by
- 91
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 3.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Optics Express (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Optical Network Technologies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Advanced Photonic Communication Systems
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Semiconductor Lasers and Optical Devices
- Keywords
- lightning strikes, polarization rotation, coherent optical receivers, local oscillator, digital signal processing, optical fiber transmission, transponders, current pulse generator
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