Integrated photonics with active polarization control

A polarization controller comprising:

• a substrate, the substrate having formed thereon:
• a 50-50 optical splitter adapted to receive a TE00 input optical signal, to split the input optical signal into two thereby forming a first pair of intermediate optical signals, and to output the first pair of intermediate optical signals;
• a pair of independent amplitude controllers, each independent amplitude controller adapted to receive a corresponding one of the first pair of intermediate optical signals, to independently control an amplitude of a corresponding one of the first pair of intermediate optical signals thereby forming a corresponding one of a second pair of intermediate optical signals, and to output a corresponding one of the second pair of intermediate optical signals;
• a pair of independent phase controllers, each independent phase controller adapted to receive a corresponding one of the second pair of intermediate optical signals, to independently control a phase of a corresponding one of the second pair of intermediate thereby forming a corresponding one of a third pair of intermediate optical signals, and to output a corresponding one of the third pair of intermediate optical signals;
• a mode converter/hybridizer adapted to receive a second of the third pair of intermediate optical signals, to convert the second of the third pair of intermediate optical signals from a TE00 mode to a TM00 mode thereby forming a fourth intermediate optical signal, and to output the fourth intermediate optical signal;
• and
• a polarization combiner adapted to receive a first of the third pair of intermediate optical signals and the fourth intermediate optical signal, to combine the first of the third pair of intermediate optical signals and the fourth intermediate optical signal thereby forming an output optical signal, and to output the output optical signal;
• wherein a polarization of the output optical signal can be selected anywhere on the Poincare sphere based upon control of the pair of independent amplitude controllers and of the pair of independent phase controllers.