Device and Method for Optical Beam Combination

An optical apparatus comprising:

• a first laser configured to output light at a first wavelength;
• a second laser configured to output light at a second wavelength that is different that the first wavelength;
• a collimating lens arranged adjacent an optical output of the first laser and an optical output of the second laser;
• a wave plate arranged between the collimating lens and the optical output of the second laser;
• and
• an optical combiner, wherein the collimating lens is located between the optical combiner and the first and second lasers, the optical combiner configured to output a single optical beam that comprises a combination of a beam from the first laser and a beam from the second laser.

An optical apparatus, comprising:

• means for generating a first optical signal having a first wavelength;
• means for generating second optical signal having a second wavelength that is different than the first wavelength and a polarization direction that is rotated relative to a polarization direction of the first optical signal;
• means for combining the first optical signal and the second optical signal and for generating a first combined optical signal;
• means for generating a third optical signal having a third wavelength that is different than the first and second wavelengths;
• means for generating a fourth optical signal having a fourth wavelength that is different than the first, second and third wavelengths and a polarization direction that is rotated relative to a polarization direction of the third optical signal;
• means for combining the third optical signal and the fourth optical signal and for generating a second combined optical signal;
• and
• means for combining the first combined optical signal and the second combined optical signal.

A method of transmitting an optical signal, the method comprising:

• receiving a first optical signal having a first wavelength;
• receiving a second optical signal having a second wavelength that is different than the first wavelength;
• rotating a polarization direction of the second optical signal;
• combining the first optical signal and the polarization-rotated second optical signal in a first polarization beam combiner to generate a first combined optical signal;
• receiving a third optical signal having a third wavelength that is different than the first and second wavelengths;
• receiving a fourth optical signal having a fourth wavelength that is different than the first, second and third wavelengths;
• rotating a polarization direction of the fourth optical signal;
• combining the third optical signal and the polarization-rotated fourth optical signal in a second polarization beam combiner to generate a second combined optical signal;
• and
• combining the first combined optical signal and the second combined optical signal to generate a multi-wavelength optical signal.