Technique utilizing stress-induced birefringence for reducing polarization dependent hole-burning in an amplified optical transmission system

An apparatus for reducing the effects of polarization dependent hole-burning within an optical transmission system employing optical fiber amplifiers, comprising:

• means for generating a polarized optical signal;
• means for launching said polarized optical signal into a birefringent optical fiber so that the state of polarization of said polarized optical signal is not aligned with a primary birefringent transmission axis of said birefringent optical fiber;
• means for mechanically stressing said birefringent optical fiber to induce a modulation of the state of polarization of said polarized optical signal, said modulation being at a frequency greater than or equal to 1/t.sub.s, where t.sub.s is the minimum saturation time exhibited by any of the optical amplifiers within said optical transmission system;
• and
• means for launching the modulated polarized optical signal into said optical transmission system.