Traditional methods for measurement of polarizing beamsplitter (PBS) parameters, especially the extinction ratio, require highly polarized light sources, alignment procedures, and/or experimental parameters that change over time, such as polarization rotations. In this work, a new method is presented that employs unpolarized light and a Faraday mirror. It is shown that precise extinction ratio and insertion loss values can be achieved in three single-sweep measurements without any alignment requirements or time-varying signals of any kind.

Optical fibers constitute a staggering portion of the physical layer underlying modern communication networks. To extend the reach of such networks around the globe, long-haul links are necessary. In this context, establishing a connection between two remote locations is only possible due to signal booster stations interspersed along the way. Supervision of such long distance links is of the utmost importance for their reliable operation. For multiplexed networks, high-ratio optical splitters are necessary to distribute the optical signal to multiple users, diminishing severely the transmitted power for each network. In this work, an automated signal boosting remote station for monitoring signals is presented. A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is part of the remote station and grants its autonomous operation. Making use of a topology capable of reaching over-saturation amplification of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA), a higher portion of the optical loss experienced in the splitter is precompensated in the remote node allowing for supervision reach-extension. Approximately 0.5 dB of increased dynamic range is experimentally achieved when comparing the proposed remote station with another one using the same optical amplifier. Even though the obtained extra gain is a minor improvement, the proposed topology paves the way for scalable amplification, allowing for longer reaches.