A system comprising a hub transceiver and edge transceivers is described. The hub transceiver is coupled to a first network node via an optical communications network. Each of the edge transceivers is coupled to a respective second network node, and to the hub transceiver. The hub transceiver is operable to form one or more logical partition of optical subcarriers in an optical signal based on connection types. Each logical partition has a first partition boundary, a second partition boundary and a plurality of subcarriers logically between the first partition boundary and the second partition boundary. Each partition boundary is assigned a particular connection type. The hub transceiver assigns a subset of available optical subcarriers of the plurality of subcarriers where each assignment includes a number of optical subcarriers based on the connection type in the service request, and a subcarrier location within the one or more logical partition.

In various embodiments, free-space optical collimator and multi-channel wavelength division multiplexers including free-space optical collimators are provided. In one embodiment, for example, a free-space optical collimator includes a base having a length, a generally flat bottom surface and a top surface. A groove is disposed along the top surface of the base extending through the length of the base. A lens is disposed within the groove of the base and a fiber optic pigtail is disposed generally adjacent to a focal point of the lens. The lens and fiber optic pigtail are aligned within the groove to reduce an off-angle offset of an optical light signal propagating through the free-space optical collimator. In other embodiments, a process of producing a free-space optical collimator is also provided.

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.

A laser module includes a laser source and an optical marshalling module. The laser source is configured to generate and output a plurality of laser beams. The plurality of laser beams have different wavelengths relative to each other. The different wavelengths are distinguishable to an optical data communication system. The optical marshalling module is configured to receive the plurality of laser beams from the laser source and distribute a portion of each of the plurality of laser beams to each of a plurality of optical output ports of the optical marshalling module, such that all of the different wavelengths of the plurality of laser beams are provided to each of the plurality of optical output ports of the optical marshalling module. An optical amplifying module can be included to amplify laser light output from the optical marshalling module and provide the amplified laser light as output from the laser module.

An optical line terminal (OLT) includes a basic wavelength channel unit and a corresponding extended wavelength channel unit. The basic wavelength channel unit is configured to support a basic wavelength channel and realize discovery and ranging of an optical network unit (ONU) on the basic wavelength channel; establish a first ONU management and control channel (OMCC) with the ONU on the basic wavelength channel, and in response to the ONU supporting an extended wavelength channel and being configured to be in a low delay mode, notify the ONU to switch from the basic wavelength channel to the extended wavelength channel through the first OMCC. The extended wavelength channel unit is configured to support at least one extended wavelength channel and establish a second OMCC with the ONU on the extended wavelength channel to transmit a low delay service.

An intelligent subsystem coupled with a system-on-chip (comprising a microprocessor/graphic processor), a radio transceiver, a voice processing module/voice processing algorithm, a foldable display, a near-field communication device, a biometric sensor and an intelligent learning algorithm is disclosed. The intelligent subsystem can respond to a user's interests and/or preferences. Furthermore, the intelligent subsystem is sensor-aware or context-aware.

Systems and methods are provided for flexible wavelength assignments in a communication network. An optical adapter is provided for the systems and methods. The optical adapter has a first interface connected to an optical switch via a first optical cable, a second interface connected to a plurality of server ports via a plurality of second optical cables, and a controller coupled to a switch controller of the optical switch. The controller is configured to perform: obtaining instructions from the switch controller; and assigning, based on the instructions, one or more wavelengths for a time slot to one of the server ports, wherein the controller performs the assigning without direct communication with the server ports.

A wavelength conversion device includes: a first wavelength conversion circuit that wavelength-converts, by passing first multiplex light obtained by multiplexing an optical signal of a first wavelength band from each transmitter through an inside of a wavelength conversion medium by using excitation light, the first multiplex light into second multiplex light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band; and a first generation circuit that generates a first control signal that controls each transmitter to shift a signal wavelength of each optical signal in the first multiplex light before wavelength conversion according to a subsequent part to which the second multiplex light after wavelength conversion in the first wavelength conversion circuit is input, and transmits the first control signal to each transmitter.

A wavelength multiplexing system is presented comprising at least one basic functional unit extending between input and output light ports. The basic functional unit comprises at least one multi-core fiber. The multi-core fiber comprises N cores configured for supporting transmission of N wavelength channels λ.sub.1, . . . , λ.sub.n, wherein each of said at least one multi-core fibers is configured to apply a predetermined encoding pattern to the wavelength channels enabling linear mixing between them while propagating through multiple cores of said multi-core fiber. The encoding pattern may be configured to affect light propagation paths in the cores by inducing a predetermined dispersion pattern causing linear interaction and mixing between the channels; or may be configured to affect spectral encoding of the channels being transmitted through the cores by applying different weights to the channels.

In one embodiment, a host-to-host network comprises: first host units (HUs) located at a first end and configured to output optical output signals and receive optical input signals; second HUs located at a second end and configured to output optical output signals and receive optical input signals; a first optical WDM configured to combine the first HU optical output signals and output a corresponding first combined output over a first fiber; a second optical WDM configured to receive the first combined output and demultiplex the optical output signals and provide them as optical input signals for the second HUs; the second optical WDM configured to combine second HU optical output signals and output a corresponding second combined output over a second fiber; the first optical WDM configured to receive the second combined output and demultiplex the optical output signals and provide them as optical input signals for the first HUs.