A photonic platform based polarization controller for providing a fixed target polarization of an optical beam having first and second orthogonal polarization components, the polarization controller comprising: a polarization rotator splitter, PRS, for splitting the optical beam into first and second feeds (1010,1020) corresponding to the first and second orthogonal polarization components, respectively, wherein the first and second feeds (1010,1020) have a same fixed state of polarization; a first Mach-Zehnder interferometer, MZI, stage coupled to the PRS and comprising a first phase shifter for providing a first optical phase delay between the first and second feeds (1010,1020) based on a first control signal, and a first mixer for mixing the first and second feeds (1010,1020) having the first optical phase delay therebetween, to provide third and fourth feeds (1230, 1240); a second MZI stage coupled to the first MZI stage and comprising a second phase shifter for providing a second optical phase delay between the third and fourth feeds (1230, 1240) based on a second control signal, and a second mixer for mixing the third and fourth feeds (1230, 1240) having the second optical phase delay therebetween, to provide fifth and sixth feeds (1330, 1340); a third MZI stage coupled to the second MZI stage and comprising a third phase shifter for providing a third optical phase delay between the fifth and sixth feeds (1330, 1340) based on a third control signal, and a third mixer for mixing the fifth and sixth feeds (1330, 1340) having the third optical phase delay therebetween, to provide the optical beam having the fixed target polarization; and an optical tap optically coupled to the third mixer for splitting a portion of the optical beam. a polarization rotator splitter, PRS, for splitting the optical beam into first and second feeds (1010,1020) corresponding to the first and second orthogonal polarization components, respectively, wherein the first and second feeds (1010,1020) have a same fixed state of polarization; a first Mach-Zehnder interferometer, MZI, stage coupled to the PRS and comprising a first phase shifter for providing a first optical phase delay between the first and second feeds (1010,1020) based on a first control signal, and a first mixer for mixing the first and second feeds (1010,1020) having the first optical phase delay therebetween, to provide third and fourth feeds (1230, 1240); a second MZI stage coupled to the first MZI stage and comprising a second phase shifter for providing a second optical phase delay between the third and fourth feeds (1230, 1240) based on a second control signal, and a second mixer for mixing the third and fourth feeds (1230, 1240) having the second optical phase delay therebetween, to provide fifth and sixth feeds (1330, 1340); a third MZI stage coupled to the second MZI stage and comprising a third phase shifter for providing a third optical phase delay between the fifth and sixth feeds (1330, 1340) based on a third control signal, and a third mixer for mixing the fifth and sixth feeds (1330, 1340) having the third optical phase delay therebetween, to provide the optical beam having the fixed target polarization; and an optical tap optically coupled to the third mixer for splitting a portion of the optical beam.