Abstract: In an optical communications link, an optical system including: at least a first input port for delivering an optical signal travelling in the communications link, the optical signal including a plurality of wavelength channels, the channels being utilized for carrying optical information over an optical data link; a dispersive element for spatially separating the wavelength channels; an active optical-phase element; and a plurality of optical manipulation elements for directing the spatially separated channels between the dispersive element and the optical phase element wherein, the optical phase element independently modifies the phase of predetermined ones of the wavelength channel in a predetermined and decoupled manner for substantial compensation of signal degradation effects imparted to the wavelength channels by said communications link.

Abstract: In an optical system including an optical input port for projecting an input optical signal onto an optical phased matrix array, an optical phased matrix array including a plurality of individually addressable pixels thereon, each said pixel being drivable within a prescribed range of levels, and an optical output port for collecting a predetermined fraction of said optical signal received from said optical phased matrix array; a method of compensating for phase distortions including the steps of: (a) determining a plurality of transfer functions relating said level of each said pixel to the phase variation each said pixel introduces to light from said input optical signal which is incident thereon; and (b) controlling the level of selected ones of said pixels in accordance with a corresponding transfer function such that said fractional signal received at said output port is modified in phase to substantially compensate for optical phase distortions arising from said optical phased matrix array.

Abstract: An optical coupling device including: at least a first input port for delivering an optical input signal beam that includes a plurality of wavelength channels; at least a first optical output port for receiving an optical output signal beam; a wavelength dispersion element for spatially separating the plurality of wavelength channels in the optical input signal beam to form a plurality of spatially separated wavelength channel beams; an optical coupling device for independently modifying the phase of each of the spatially separated wavelength channel beams such that, for at least one wavelength channel beam, a selected fraction of the light is coupled to the first output port and a fraction of the light is coupled away from the first output port.

Abstract: An optical signal manipulation system including: a series of ports for carrying a series of optical signals to be manipulated; a spatial separating means for spatially separating at least a first and a second group of light from the series of optical signals; wavelength dispersion element subsequently spatially separating wavelengths of the first and second series; wavelength processing means for processing separated wavelengths of the first and second series.

Abstract: A device for filtering at least a predetermined selected optical signal having a predetermined wavelength range from a series of optical signals, the device comprising: a polarisation alignment means for substantially aligning substantially orthogonal polarisation states of an optical input signal so as to produce a polarisation aligned optical signal; a polarisation manipulation means for imparting a controlled polarisation manipulation to the polarisation aligned optical signal so as to output a polarisation manipulated optical signal having one of at least two distinguishable polarisation states including a first polarisation state and a second polarisation state; and an optical separation means for spatially separating the selected optical signal from the series of optical signals when the polarisation state of the polarisation manipulated optical signal is in a first polarisation state, thereby forming a first and second output optical signal, and maintaining the spatial alignment of the selected optical

Abstract: A wavelength selective manipulation device and method including: at least a first optical input port for inputting an optical signal including a plurality of wavelength channels; a first wavelength dispersing element for angularly dispersing the wavelength channels of the optical signal into angularly dispersed wavelength signals; an optical power element for focussing in the angularly dispersed dimension the angularly dispersed wavelength signals into a series of elongated spatially separated wavelengths bands; a spatial manipulation element for selectively manipulating the spatial characteristics of the spatially separated wavelength bands to produce spatially manipulated wavelength bands.

Abstract: In a method of compensating polarization dependent loss (PDL) in a wave division multiplex (WDM) optical communications system, a performance parameter is monitored at a predetermined monitoring point. The performance parameter is indicative of respective channel PDL for each one of a plurality of channels of the optical communications system. A error function is calculated as a function of wavelength across a wavelength spectrum of interest, using the measured performance parameter values. Finally, a broadband PDL compensator is controlled based on the calculated error function.

Abstract: A wavelength dependent optical device comprising: at least two optical Ports (21, 22); a first series of polarisation modifying optical components (23, 25, 27, 28) placed between the two Ports and a first dielectric mirror (29); the first dielectric mirror (29) operating substantially in reflectance mode at a first predetermined wavelength range and substantially in transmission mode at a second predetermined wavelength range; at least one second polarisation modifying optical component (30) placed between the first dielectric mirror (29) and a second mirror (31); the second mirror (31) operating substantially in reflectance mode at the second predetermined wavelength range; wherein light emitted from the first Port (21) at the first predetermined wavelength range is transmitted to the second Port (22), and light emitted from the first Port (21) at the second predetermined wavelength range is transmitted away from the second Port (22).

Abstract: In a method of compensating polarization dependent loss (PDL) in a wave division multiplex (WDM) optical communications system, a performance parameter is monitored at a predetermined monitoring point. The performance parameter is indicative of respective channel PDL for each one of a plurality of channels of the optical communications system. A error function is calculated as a function of wavelength across a wavelength spectrum of interest, using the measured performance parameter values. Finally, a broadband PDL compensator is controlled based on the calculated error function.

Abstract: A device for filtering at least a predetermined selected optical signal having a predetermined wavelength range from a series of optical signals, the device comprising: a polarisation alignment means for substantially aligning substantially orthogonal polarisation states of an optical input signal so as to produce a polarisation aligned optical signal; a polarisation manipulation means for imparting a controlled polarisation manipulation to the polarisation aligned optical signal so as to output a polarisation manipulated optical signal having one of at least two distinguishable polarisation states including a first polarisation state and a second polarisation state; and an optical separation means for spatially separating the selected optical signal from the series of optical signals when the polarisation state of the polarisation manipulated optical signal is in a first polarisation state, thereby forming a first and second output optical signal, and maintaining the spatial alignment of the selected optical