Patent ID: 7120330

Claim:
An apparatus for forming a WDM signal having orthogonally polarized optical channels without using polarization maintaining fiber outside the transmitter, comprising: an N×1 wavelength multiplexer for combining a first and a second plurality of optical channels, the multiplexer having an output adapted for outputting the WDM signal, where an optical signal of each channel of said first plurality of optical channels has a first state of polarization (SOP) and an optical signal of each channel of said second plurality of optical channels has a second state of polarization (SOP); a broadband wavelength insensitive splitter for tapping a portion of the WDM signal power; a polarization splitter coupled to the first output of the broadband splitter, the polarization splitter having a first output for the optical signals having the second SOP and a second output for the optical signals having the first SOP; a first wavelength demultiplexer of the first plurality of the optical channels, the demultiplexer coupled to the first output of the polarization splitter; a second wavelength demultiplexer of the second plurality of the optical channels, the demultiplexer coupled to the second output of the polarization splitter; and a plurality of sensors of optical power of a respective optical channel, each sensor coupled to a control input of the polarization controller of the respective optical channel, wherein the first SOP is orthogonal to the second SOP.