Abstract: Reducing polarization dependence of a dispersion variation monitor includes receiving an optical signal. The optical signal is split into a first polarized signal having first photons and a second polarized signal having second photons. The first photons are received at a first material of a first detector, where the first material is operable to produce a reaction in response to the arrival of a predetermined number of photons. The second photons are received at a second material of a second detector, where the second material is substantially similar to the first material. A first current produced by the first material in response to receiving the first photons and a second current produced by the second material in response to receiving the second photons are monitored. Whether there is wavelength dispersion variation among the plurality of components is established in accordance with the first current and the second current.

Abstract: A method for communicating optical traffic in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes includes receiving traffic to be added to the network at a network node. The network is operable to communicate received traffic in an optical signal comprising one or more channels. The method also includes determining a data rate and one or more destination nodes of the received traffic and assigning the received traffic to one or more of the channels of the optical signal based on the determined data rate and the destination nodes. The method further includes configuring one or more of the network nodes to process the traffic contained in the assigned channels based on the data rate and the destination nodes of the optical traffic and communicating the traffic through network in the assigned channels of the optical signal based on the determined data rate and the one or more destination nodes.

Abstract: Monitoring a demodulator includes repeating the following for each demodulating module of one or more demodulating modules of a demodulator: receiving a first signal and a second signal from a demodulating module; introducing a relative delay between the first signal and the second signal; and asynchronously sampling the first signal and the second signal to yield samples. Image data representing the samples associated with the demodulating modules is generated. The image data indicates one or more mismatches of the demodulator.

Abstract: A demodulator includes one or more modules operable to receive an input signal comprising symbols. A module receives a main signal comprising at least a portion of the input signal and splits the main signal to yield a branching signal and a remaining main signal. The branching signal travels along a first path, and the remaining main signal travels along a second path. The second path introduces a delay with respect to the first path. If there is a next module, the module sends a first portion of the remaining main signal to a next module as a main signal for the next module. The module combines the branching signal and at least a second portion of the remaining main signal to generate interference. The interference indicates a phase shift between a phase corresponding to a symbol and a successive phase corresponding to a successive symbol.

Abstract: A demodulator comprises an input splitter, optical device sets, and couplers. The input splitter splits an input signal comprising symbols to yield a number of signals. A first optical device set directs a signal of along a first path. A second optical device set directs another signal along a second path to yield a delayed signal. At least a portion of the second path is in free space. A path length difference between the first path and the second path introduces a symbol delay between the first signal and the second signal. A coupler receives a portion of the signal and a portion of the delayed signal to generate interference, where the interference indicates a phase shift between a phase corresponding to a symbol and a successive phase corresponding to a successive symbol.

Abstract: A demodulator includes a 1×m optical coupler and one or more optical device sets. The 1×m optical coupler splits an input signal comprising symbols to yield m signals comprising m/2 pairs of signals. An optical device set is associated with a pair of signals and includes one or more first optical operators, one or more second optical operators, and a set coupler. The first optical operators direct a first signal of a pair of signals along a first path, and the second optical operators direct a second signal of the pair along a second path. The second path introduces a symbol delay between the first signal and the second signal. The set coupler receives the first and the second signal to generate interference. The interference indicates a phase shift between a phase corresponding to a symbol and a successive phase corresponding to a successive symbol.

Abstract: A method for management of directly connected optical components includes receiving a source optical signal for communication to an optical network. The source optical signal comprises one or more source channels. The method includes monitoring optical traffic communicated on the optical network to determine one or more network channels of the optical traffic and determining network channel information of the one or more network channels. The method also includes communicating to the optical network channels of the one or more source channels that do not interfere with any of the one or more network channels.

Abstract: A method and a system for setting a tunable filter in an optical network are provided. In one embodiment, a method for setting a tunable filter in an optical network includes rejecting a reference wavelength using a fixed filter from an input optical signal to generate a passthrough optical signal. A tunable filter is adjusted to maintain the tunable filter at the reference wavelength. The tunable filter is adjusted to a selected wavelength based on a determination of the reference wavelength.

Abstract: A flexible open ring optical network includes a plurality of nodes connected by twin or other suitable optical rings. Each node is operable to passively add and passively drop traffic from the rings. The nodes may include a transport element for each ring. The transport elements include an optical splitter element and an optical combiner element. The optical splitter element is operable to passively combine an add signal including local add traffic and a first transport signal including ingress traffic from a coupled optical ring to generate a second transport signal including egress traffic for transmission on the coupled optical ring. The optical combiner element is coupled to the optical splitter element and is operable to passively split a third transport signal including the ingress traffic to generate a drop signal including local drop traffic and a fourth transport signal including the ingress traffic.

Abstract: A device for directing one or more optical channels includes one or more micromirror elements. A micromirror element has a mirror and a mirror controller. The mirror is operable to reflect light at a first interaction area to yield a first passband for an optical channel, and to reflect light at a second interaction area to yield a second passband for the optical channel. The mirror controller operates to position the mirror at a first position at which light interacts with the first interaction area to yield the first passband, and to position the mirror at a second position at which light interacts with the second interaction area to yield the second passband.

Abstract: A flexible open ring optical network includes a plurality of nodes connected by twin or other suitable optical rings. Each node is operable to passively add and passively drop traffic from the rings. The nodes may include a transport element for each ring. The transport elements include an optical splitter element and an optical combiner element. The optical splitter element is operable to passively combine an add signal including local add traffic and a first transport signal including ingress traffic from a coupled optical ring to generate a second transport signal including egress traffic for transmission on the coupled optical ring. The optical combiner element is coupled to the optical splitter element and is operable to passively split a third transport signal including the ingress traffic to generate a drop signal including local drop traffic and a fourth transport signal including the ingress traffic.

Abstract: A device for directing one or more optical channels includes one or more micromirror elements. A micromirror element has a mirror and a mirror controller. The mirror is operable to reflect light at a first interaction area to yield a first passband for an optical channel, and to reflect light at a second interaction area to yield a second passband for the optical channel. The mirror controller operates to position the mirror at a first position at which light interacts with the first interaction area to yield the first passband, and to position the mirror at a second position at which light interacts with the second interaction area to yield the second passband.

Abstract: Monitoring an optical signal includes receiving the optical signal. The optical signal is filtered to pass through a selected wavelength of the optical signal. The following is performed for each selected wavelength: receiving photons of the optical signal at a photo-reactive material operable to produce a reaction in response to the arrival of a predetermined number of photons; producing reactions in response to the arrival of the photons; and generating waveform monitor output in response to the reactions, where the waveform monitor output indicates a waveform quality of the optical signal at each wavelength.

Abstract: A flexible open ring optical network includes a plurality of nodes connected by twin or other suitable optical rings. Each node is operable to passively add and passively drop traffic from the rings. The nodes may include a transport element for each ring. The transport elements include an optical splitter element and an optical combiner element. The optical splitter element is operable to passively combine an add signal including local add traffic and a first transport signal including ingress traffic from a coupled optical ring to generate a second transport signal including egress traffic for transmission on the coupled optical ring. The optical combiner element is coupled to the optical splitter element and is operable to passively split a third transport signal including the ingress traffic to generate a drop signal including local drop traffic and a fourth transport signal including the ingress traffic.

Abstract: A method for token-controlled data transmission includes receiving a token including transmission data specifying one of a plurality of data channels and a time window. A burst blocker is configured, based at least in part on the transmission data, for the selective communication of the specified data channel on an optical transmission medium having the plurality of data channels. The selective configuration of the burst blocker includes splitting the specified data channel from the plurality of data channels, configuring the burst blocker in a first configuration during a time other than the time window to rejoin the specified data channel with the plurality of data channels for transmission of the plurality of data channels toward a destination node, and configuring the burst blocker in a second configuration during the time window to block the specified data channel to prevent the transmission of the specified data channel.

Abstract: Monitoring a bias point of an optical modulator includes receiving an optical signal modulated by the optical modulator. Photons of the optical signal are received at a photon reactive material operable to produce a reaction in response to the arrival of a predetermined number of photons. Reactions are produced in response to the arrival of the photons of the optical signal. Feedback is generated in response to the reactions. The feedback reflects the waveform of the optical signal, and indicates one or more bias points of the optical modulator.

Abstract: Monitoring modulation alignment variation of optical modulators includes receiving an optical signal at an input fiber. The optical signal has been modulated by optical modulators. Photons of the optical signal are received at a photon reactive material operable to produce a reaction in response to the arrival of a predetermined number of photons. Reactions are produced in response to the arrival of the photons of the optical signal. Feedback is generated in response to reactions. The feedback reflects the waveform of the optical signal, and indicates modulation alignment variation among the optical modulators.

Abstract: Reducing polarization dependence of a dispersion variation monitor includes receiving an optical signal. The optical signal is split into a first polarized signal having first photons and a second polarized signal having second photons. The first photons are received at a first material of a first detector, where the first material is operable to produce a reaction in response to the arrival of a predetermined number of photons. The second photons are received at a second material of a second detector, where the second material is substantially similar to the first material. A first current produced by the first material in response to receiving the first photons and a second current produced by the second material in response to receiving the second photons are monitored. Whether there is wavelength dispersion variation among the plurality of components is established in accordance with the first current and the second current.

Abstract: An optical access network includes a first ring and a second ring communicating optical signals in opposite directions. The network also includes an access node coupled to both rings that adds traffic in a first wavelength of a first optical signal communicated on the first ring. Furthermore, the network includes a hub node coupled to each ring and coupled to an optical core network. The hub node receives the first optical signal, forwards a first copy of the signal to a first wavelength blocking unit that terminates the traffic in the first wavelength, and forwards a second copy of the signal to a first network interconnection element that forwards the traffic in the first wavelength to the core network. Furthermore, upon detection of an interruption of the traffic in the first wavelength on the first ring, the access node adds the traffic in a second wavelength of a second optical signal communicated on the second ring.

Abstract: A method and system for control signaling in an open ring optical network includes transmitting traffic in an optical ring. At each of a plurality of nodes along the ring, local traffic is passively added to and passively dropped from the connected ring. At each node, an ingress optical supervisory channel (OSC) signal is dropped from the ring to a managing element. An egress OSC signal is added to the ring from the managing element. The OSC signals may be in-band signal or out-of-band signals.