A network or system in which a hub or primary node may communicate with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed to receive data carrying optical signals from, and supply data carrying optical signals to, the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, optical splitters/combiners, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections, each carrying a data stream. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced. As the bandwidth or capacity requirements of the leaf nodes change, the number of subcarriers, and thus the amount of data provided to each node, may be changed accordingly. Each subcarrier within a dedicated group of subcarriers may carry OAM or control channel information to a corresponding leaf node, and such information may be used by the leaf node to configure the leaf node to have a desired bandwidth or capacity.

A branching unit branches a first wavelength-multiplexed optical signal input through a first transmission line, the first wavelength-multiplexed optical signal including first and second optical signals, A wavelength selection unit receives the branched first wavelength-multiplexed optical signal branched by the branching unit, receives a second wavelength-multiplexed optical signal including a third optical signal in the same band as that of the first optical signal and a fourth optical signal in the same band as that of the second optical signal through a second transmission line, outputs a third wavelength-multiplexed optical signal including the first and fourth optical signals optical to a third transmission line and output the third optical signal. A multiplexing unit outputs a fourth wavelength-multiplexed optical signal in which the branched first wavelength-multiplexed optical signal branched by the branching unit and the third optical signal output from the wavelength selection unit are multiplexed to a fourth transmission line.

An optical antenna may permit a duplex link formed by a transmit, Tx, beam towards a partner optical antenna and a receive, Rx, beam from the partner antenna. The antenna includes: a proximal path including a bidirectional waveguide for duplex propagation of the duplex link from a Tx source of the Tx beam and towards a receiver of the Rx beam; a distal path for a duplex propagation of the duplex link from/towards the partner optical antenna; a beam shaper positioned in the distal path to shape a duplex propagation pattern of the duplex link; and a controller controlling the beam shaper to adaptively shape the propagation pattern to enclose: a first position of the partner antenna at the transmission of the Rx beam; and a second of the partner antenna at the reception of the Tx beam.

An equalizer device which includes: an optical matrix switch including a first terminal group including at least two first terminals and a second terminal group including at least two second terminals; an equalizer group including at least two equalizers, an input end of each of the equalizers being connected to one of the second terminals included in the second terminal group, and an output end of each of the equalizers being connected to one of the first terminals included in the first terminal group; and controller that changes connection state between the first terminal and the second terminal.

A network or system in which a hub or primary node may communicate with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed to receive data carrying optical signals from, and supply data carrying optical signals to, the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, optical splitters/combiners, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections, each carrying a data stream. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced. As the bandwidth or capacity requirements of the leaf nodes change, the number of subcarriers, and thus the amount of data provided to each node, may be changed accordingly. Each subcarrier within a dedicated group of subcarriers may carry OAM or control channel information to a corresponding leaf node, and such information may be used by the leaf node to configure the leaf node to have a desired bandwidth or capacity.

A network or system in which a hub or primary node may communicate with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed to receive data carrying optical signals from, and supply data carrying optical signals to, the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, optical splitters/combiners, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections, each carrying a data stream. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced. As the bandwidth or capacity requirements of the leaf nodes change, the number of subcarriers, and thus the amount of data provided to each node, may be changed accordingly. Each subcarrier within a dedicated group of subcarriers may carry OAM or control channel information to a corresponding leaf node, and such information may be used by the leaf node to configure the leaf node to have a desired bandwidth or capacity.

An equalizer device includes: an optical matrix switch including a first terminal group including at least two first terminals and a second terminal group including at least two second terminals; an equalizer group including at least two equalizers, an input end of each of the equalizers being connected to one of the second terminals included in the second terminal group, and an output end of each of the equalizers being connected to one of the first terminals included in the first terminal group; a variable attenuator being connected to the second terminal in a last stage included in the second terminal group and attenuating an input optical signal; and controller that changes a connection state between the first terminal and the second terminal, and sets an amount of attenuation in the variable attenuator.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe large scale steerable optical switched arrays that may be fabricated on a common substrate including many thousands or more emitters that may be arranged in a curved pattern at the focal plane of a lens thereby allowing the directional control of emitted light and selective reception of reflected light suitable for use in imaging, ranging, and sensing applications including accident avoidance.

A network or system in which a hub or primary node may communicate with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed to receive data carrying optical signals from, and supply data carrying optical signals to, the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, optical splitters/combiners, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections, each carrying a data stream. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced. As the bandwidth or capacity requirements of the leaf nodes change, the number of subcarriers, and thus the amount of data provided to each node, may be changed accordingly. Each subcarrier within a dedicated group of subcarriers may carry OAM or control channel information to a corresponding leaf node, and such information may be used by the leaf node to configure the leaf node to have a desired bandwidth or capacity.

Methods and devices for manipulating optical signals. In one example, a LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) device includes a surface bearing an anti-reflection structure. The anti-reflection structure includes i) a physical surface having a topography with features having lateral dimensions of less than 2000 nm and having an average refraction index which decreases with distance away from the surface; and ii) a configuration of the topography, averaged over lateral dimensions of greater than 2000 nm, varies with lateral position on the surface.