High-density optical wavelength division multiplexing

A method of wavelength division multiplexing optical signals, comprising the steps of:

• providing an optical pulse signal having a spectrum comprising a plurality of longitudinal modes of an optical source used to generate said optical pulse signal;
• splitting said spectrum of said optical pulse signal into a plurality of channel signal;
• each of said channel signals including a plurality of said modes of said optical source;
• separately modulating a data signal onto at least one of said plurality of channel signals;
• and
• recombining said channel signals of said optical pulse signal to provide a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal.

A method of wavelength division multiplexing optical signals, comprising the steps of:

• providing an optical pulse signal having a spectrum comprising a plurality of longitudinal modes of an optical source used to generate said optical pulse signal;
• splitting a spectrum of said optical pulse signal in a wavelength splitter into a plurality of channel signals, each of said channel signals including a plurality of said modes of said optical source;
• modulating predetermined logic levels onto at least a subset of said plurality of channel signals in a first array including a plurality of optical modulators;
• recombining said channel signals in a wavelength combiner to provide a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;
• applying said wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to a second array in a receiver;
• and
• adjusting a parameter of the receiver, to align a given channel signal with a corresponding element of the second array, while said predetermined logic levels are modulated on said channel signals.