Laserless optical transceiver

A method comprising:

• producing, by an optical source, an optical signal;
• generating, by a first polarization splitter-rotator, a first source optical signal based at least in part on the optical signal;
• generating, by a second polarization splitter-rotator, a second source optical signal based at least in part on the optical signal;
• transmitting, by a first port and to a first device, the first source optical signal;
• receiving, by the first port and from the first device, a first modulated optical signal, wherein the first modulated optical signal has a polarization that is orthogonal to a polarization of the first source optical signal;
• producing, by the first polarization splitter-rotator, a second modulated optical signal based at least in part on the first modulated optical signal;
• transmitting, by a second port and to a second device, the second source optical signal;
• receiving, by the second port and from the second device, a third modulated optical signal having a polarization that is orthogonal to a polarization of the second source optical signal;
• producing, by the second polarization splitter-rotator, a fourth modulated optical signal based at least in part on the third modulated optical signal;
• transmitting, by a third port, the second modulated optical signal to the second device;
• and
• transmitting, by a fourth port, the fourth modulated optical signal to the first device.

A system comprising:

• a source device;
• a receiver device;
• and
• a pluggable device attached to the source device, wherein the pluggable device comprises:
• an optical source arranged to produce an optical signal;
• a first polarization splitter-rotator arranged to generate a first source optical signal based at least in part on the optical signal;
• a second polarization splitter-rotator arranged to generate a second source optical signal based at least in part on the optical signal;
• a first port arranged to transmit, to the receiver device, the first source optical signal and to receive, from the receiver device, a first modulated optical signal, wherein the first modulated optical signal has a polarization that is orthogonal to a polarization of the first source optical signal, wherein the first polarization splitter-rotator produces a second modulated optical signal based at least in part on the first modulated optical signal;
• a second port arranged to transmit, to the source device, the second source optical signal and to receive, from the source device, a third modulated optical signal, wherein the third modulated optical signal has a polarization that is orthogonal to a polarization of the second source optical signal, wherein the second polarization splitter-rotator produces a fourth modulated optical signal based at least in part on the third modulated optical signal;
• a third port arranged to transmit the second modulated optical signal to the source device;
• and
• a fourth port arranged to transmit the fourth modulated optical signal to the receiver device.