Reversible wavelength channels for optical communication networks

An optical transmission system comprising:

• a first node of a wavelength-routed network including a bidirectional optical switch having a plurality of switch ports and a plurality of bidirectional optical multiplexers/demultiplexers coupled to a subset of the plurality of switch ports of the first node bidirectional optical switch, each of the plurality of first node bidirectional optical multiplexers/demultiplexers having a first node port;
• a second node of the wavelength-routed network including a bidirectional optical switch having a plurality of switch ports and a plurality of bidirectional optical multiplexers/demultiplexers coupled to a subset of the plurality of switch ports of the second node bidirectional optical switch, each of the plurality of second node bidirectional optical multiplexers/demultiplexers having a second node port;
• wherein one first node port corresponds with one second node port as a pair configured to be coupled with an optical media;
• and
• wherein the ports of the pair communicate with one another via a reversible channel signal which is transmitted via a channel in the optical media, and wherein the first node optical switch is configured to selectively transmit the reversible channel signal on the channel in a first direction from one or more of the first node bidirectional optical switch ports through one of the first node bidirectional optical multiplexers to its first node port being the port of the first node of the pair to the port of the second node of the pair and wherein the second node optical switch is configured to selectively transmit the reversible channel signal on the channel in a second direction from one or more of the second node bidirectional optical switch ports through one of the second node bidirectional optical multiplexers to its second node port being the port of the second node of the pair to the port of the first node of the pair;
• a bidirectional optical isolator for limiting reflection of said reversible channel signal, wherein the bidirectional optical isolator is coupleable with the optical media between the first and second nodes of the wavelength-routed network;
• wherein the transmission direction of the reversible channel signal transmitted via the channel is configurable between the first direction and the second direction by reconfiguring bidirectional components included in and between the first and second nodes including the first node bidirectional switch, the second node bidirectional switch, the first node bidirectional optical multiplexers/demultiplexers, the second node bidirectional optical multiplexers/demultiplexers, and the bidirectional optical isolator.