Patent ID: 7865080

Claim:
A method for the optical transmission of polarization multiplex signals of different wavelength combined to form a wavelength division multiplex signal, comprising: forming a first polarization multiplex signal in a first channel with a first wavelength by combining two orthogonally polarized amplitude-modulated optical data signals without a phase difference between their carrier signals; and forming a second polarization multiplex signal in a second channel with a second wavelength by combining two orthogonally polarized amplitude-modulated optical data signals whose carrier signals are phase-shifted through 180Â° in respect of each other, such that when the two orthogonally polarized amplitude-modulated optical data signals whose carrier signals are phase-shifted through 180Â° in respect of each other respectively are transmitted simultaneously, a resulting polarization of the second polarization multiplex signal differs by 90Â° from the resulting polarization of the first polarization multiplex signal, wherein the optical data signals of odd-number channels without a phase difference between their carrier signals are combined to form first polarization multiplex signals, and in the even-number channels, carrier signals respectively of first optical data signals that are phase-shifted through 180Â° in respect of carrier signals of second optical data signals are combined to form second polarization multiplex signals, wherein the second optical data signals of all channels having the same polarization are combined to form a first WDM signal and supplied to a first input of a polarization combiner, wherein the first optical data signals of the odd-number channels having the same polarization are combined to form a first WDM sub-signal, wherein the first optical data signals of the even-number channels with their phases adjusted through 180Â° and having the same polarization are combined to form a second WDM sub-signal, with the polarization of the second optical data signals differing by 90Â° in respect of the polarization of the first optical data signals or being set in such a manner, and wherein both WDM sub-signals combined to form a second WDM signal are then supplied to a second input of a polarization combiner, and this emits a WDM output signal WDM PMS having the polarization multiplex signals with which the resulting polarization between adjacent polarization multiplex signals differs by 90Â°.