Methods, systems, and apparatus for optical wavelength selective switching. One 22 wavelength selective switch array includes a plurality of optical input ports configured to receive one or more optical input beams, and a plurality of optical output ports configured to receive one or more one or more optical output beams wherein the plurality of optical input ports and optical output ports form an array of 22 optical port pairs; one or more optical conditioning and wavelength dispersion elements; a polarization modulator array having a plurality of polarizing modulation cells, each cell configured to independently change a polarization orientation of an optical beam passing through the cell and associated with a particular wavelength channel; and a polarization-selective beam-routing optical element configured to route each particular input beam to either a first output port or a second output port according to polarization orientation.

An optical switching arrangement includes a plurality of input and output waveguides. Each of the input waveguides has a first plurality of 12 optical switches associated therewith and extending therealong. Each of the output waveguides has a second plurality of 12 optical switches associated therewith and extending therealong. Each of the first and second plurality of optical switches is selectively switchable between a through-state and a cross-state. The input and output waveguides are arranged such that optical losses arising for any wavelength of light only depend on a length of segments of the input and output waveguides located between adjacent ones of the 12 optical switches. Each of the first plurality of optical switches associated with each of the input waveguides is optically coupled to one of the second plurality of optical switches in a different one of the output waveguides when both optical switches are in the cross-state.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for optical wavelength selective switching. One 22 wavelength selective switch array includes a plurality of optical input ports configured to receive one or more optical input beams, and a plurality of optical output ports configured to receive one or more one or more optical output beams wherein the plurality of optical input ports and optical output ports form an array of 22 optical port pairs; one or more optical conditioning and wavelength dispersion elements; a polarization modulator array having a plurality of polarizing modulation cells, each cell configured to independently change a polarization orientation of an optical beam passing through the cell and associated with a particular wavelength channel; and a polarization-selective beam-routing optical element configured to route each particular input beam to either a first output port or a second output port according to polarization orientation.

An optical device for polarization dependent loss compensation and a polarization controlling wavelength selective switch (PC-WSS). The device includes a polarization independent liquid crystal on silicon (PI-LCoS) structure, a first liquid crystal structure disposed on the PI-LCOS structure; and a second liquid crystal structure disposed on the first liquid crystal layer, the two liquid crystal structures having a common ground electrode. The PI-LCOS structure includes a metamaterial quarter-wave plate (QWP) disposed over a silicon substrate. The PC-WSS includes an optical assembly arranged to receive light from a fiber array unit; a polarization-insensitive grating structure optically aligned with the optical assembly; and the optical device for polarization dependent loss compensation optically aligned with the polarization-insensitive grating structure.