An optical fiber transmission system and method for using the system are provided. The system may include a span of transmission fiber for transmitting light signals through the optical fiber transmission system. The system may include a dispersion compensating module coupled to the span of transmission fiber. The system may include a switchable module including a set of selectable light signal paths, the set of selectable light signal paths including at least one path through a dispersion compensating element. The system may include a processor coupled to the switchable module for selectively monitoring the set of selectable light signal paths, where the processor is further configured to derive a metric based on the set of selectable light signal paths for controlling the dispersion compensating module.

An example system includes a first network node, a second network node, and a third network node. The first network node is configured to generate a first optical subcarrier representing first data, and transmit the first optical subcarrier to the second network node. The second network node is configured to receive the first optical subcarrier from the first network node, generate a second optical subcarrier representing the first data, where the second optical subcarrier is different from the first optical subcarrier, and transmit the second optical subcarrier to the third network node.

An example system includes a plurality of network nodes, each including one or more respective first transceivers configured to transmit data according to a first maximum throughput, and one or more respective second transceivers configured to transmit data according to a second maximum throughput that is less than the first maximum throughput. A first network node is configured to transmit, using a respective one of the first transceivers, first data including a plurality of optical subcarriers to two or more second network nodes according to the first maximum throughput, each optical subcarrier being associated with a different one of the two more other network nodes. The two or more second network nodes are configured to receive, using respective ones of the second transceivers, the first data from the first network node.

An optoelectronic module may include an optical receiver optically coupled with an optical fiber. The optical receiver may be configured to receive time synchronization signals from the optical fiber. The time synchronization signals may be frequency modulated, wavelength modulated, or amplitude modulated and may be received along with received data signals. A time synchronization signal detection module may be communicatively coupled to the optical receiver. The time synchronization signal detection module may be configured to receive the time synchronization signals that are transmitted through the optical fiber and detect frequency modulations, wavelength modulations, or amplitude modulations to recover the time synchronization signals.

This application provides an optical switching apparatus. The apparatus includes: a first optical switch, L first wavelength division multiplexers/demultiplexers, L second wavelength division multiplexers/demultiplexers, a beam generation apparatus connected to the L first wavelength division multiplexers/demultiplexers, and a detection apparatus connected to the L second wavelength division multiplexers/demultiplexers. One of a plurality of multiplexing ports of the first wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer is a signal light port, and a remaining multiplexing port is connected to the beam generation apparatus. A plurality of demultiplexing ports of the first wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer are connected to the first optical switch. One of a plurality of multiplexing ports of the second wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer is a signal light port, and a remaining multiplexing port is connected to the detection apparatus. A plurality of demultiplexing ports of the second wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer are connected to the first optical switch.

Embodiment of present invention provide a micro-optics module. The module includes a glass body of pentagon shape having five side surfaces including an upper side surface, a left side and a right side surface next to the upper side surface, a lower side surface next to the left side surface, and a 5th side surface next to and between the lower side surface and the right side surface. The glass body is adapted to, upon incident of a first optical signal at the left side surface, cause the first optical signal to propagate toward and exit the glass body at the right side surface and, upon incident of a second optical signal at the right side surface, cause the second optical signal to reflect back at the left side surface; reflect back at the 5th side surface; and finally exit the glass body at the upper side surface.

An optical transmission system includes: a terminal station device that transmits a wavelength multiplexed optical signal resulting from multiplexing an optical signal and dummy light; and an optical add-drop multiplexer that receives respective wavelength multiplexed optical signals transmitted from a plurality of the terminal station devices and performs add-drop processing on the wavelength multiplexed optical signals. The dummy light has a wavelength arrangement in which adjacent wavelengths are arranged with equal spacing, and the wavelength arrangement of the dummy light differs between the terminal station devices.

Systems and methods for controlling optical powers of optical channels in an optical communications network comprising a plurality of nodes is described herein. The method comprises obtaining a reference optical power. The method also includes determining an optical power of an optical channel generated by an optical transmitter of a node. The method further includes applying an attenuation to the optical channel to reduce the optical power of the optical channel to the reference optical power. In some implementations, the method is performed by a network controller operating in the optical communications network.

Automatic optical link calibration systems and methods include an optical node with an Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (OADM) multiplexer including a channel holder source; an optical amplifier connected to the OADM multiplexer and to a fiber span; an Optical Channel Monitor (OCM) configured to monitor optical spectrum before and after the optical amplifier; and a controller configured to obtain data associated with the fiber span including measurements from the OCM, determine settings of the channel holder source needed to meet a target launch power profile for the fiber span, and configure the channel holder source based on the determined settings.

An optical transmission system includes: a terminal station device that transmits a wavelength multiplexed optical signal resulting from multiplexing an optical signal and dummy light; and an optical add-drop multiplexer that receives respective wavelength multiplexed optical signals transmitted from a plurality of the terminal station devices and performs add-drop processing on the wavelength multiplexed optical signals. The dummy light has a wavelength arrangement in which adjacent wavelengths are arranged with equal spacing, and the wavelength arrangement of the dummy light differs between the terminal station devices.