Abstract: An apparatus comprises: a planar optical waveguide having sets of locking diffractive elements and means for routing optical signals; and corresponding lasers. Lasers launch signals into the planar waveguide that are successively incident on elements of the locking diffractive element sets, which route fractions of the signals back to the lasers as locking feedback signals. The routing means route between lasers and output port(s) portions of those fractions of signals transmitted by locking diffractive element sets. Locking diffractive element sets may be formed in channel waveguides formed in the planar waveguide, or in slab waveguide region(s) of the planar waveguide. Multiple routing means may comprise routing diffractive element sets formed in a slab waveguide region of the planar waveguide, or may comprise an arrayed waveguide grating formed in the planar waveguide. The apparatus may comprise a multiple-wavelength optical source.

Abstract: A waveguide that is operative to produce a reflected optical signal having a spectral profile corresponding to a product of a spectral profile of an input optical signal and a predetermined complex-valued spectral filtering function wherein the waveguide includes a plurality of spatially distinct subgratings each possessing a periodic array of diffraction elements. The subgratings are situated and configured based on the predetermined complex-valued spectral filtering function.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for optical communication are disclosed. An optical data stream is encoded to produce an optical data stream having a predetermined time-wavelength spectrum. Two or more encoded data streams are combined in a transmission medium (e.g., optical fiber) and the combined data stream is decoded with decoders corresponding to the encoding of the data streams, producing decoded outputs. The decoded outputs include a portion corresponding to a selected data stream as well as a portion corresponding to unselected data streams (crosstalk). A nonlinear detector receives the decoded outputs and rejects crosstalk. Coders produce temporal delays and phase shifts specified by a time-wavelength code for, the spectral components of an input optical signal. Some coders convert optical signals encoded with a first time-wavelength code into an output corresponding to a second time-wavelength code. Temporal delays and phase shifts can be selected to compensate for dispersion in a transmission medium.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for the recognition of an optical signal that is encoded with a specified temporal pattern. Nonlinear optical interactions and time-integrating optical detectors are used to identify temporally short correlation peaks in an optical signal in an optical communication system without temporally resolving the correlation signal. The apparatus includes means for decoding an encoded optical waveform, a time-integrating nonlinear detection system, a time-integrating linear detection system for proper normalization, and thresholding electronics that produce voltage pulses corresponding to the presence of specified waveforms at the detector input.