Multi-wavelength CD and PMD compensator

A method for performing optical dispersion compensation of wave-length division multiplexed (WDM) optical signals, the method comprising:

• providing a compensation stage comprising:
• an optical transmission medium,
• parallel operating cascaded polarization controllers, and
• optical birefringent elements;
• wherein the compensation stage compensates dispersion of the WDM optical signals when the WDM optical signals are transmitted spectrally dispersed into wavelength channels through the parallel polarization controllers;
• determining polarization states of the spectral components of the optical signals for each of the wavelength channels;
• defining a first feedback signal required for setting the polarization controllers when compensating with the parallel polarization controllers for each wavelength channel;
• determining the chromatic dispersion of the optical signals of at least one wavelength channel, and extrapolating the chromatic dispersion of the other wavelength channels based on the determined chromatic dispersion;
• defining a second feedback signal required when compensating for the chromatic dispersion at each wavelength channel;
• calculating the polarization controller setting per wavelength channel based on the first and second feedback signals;
• applying the respective setting on the parallel polarization controllers, and compensating the optical dispersion of the WDM optical signals at each wavelength channel.