Integrated dual waveguides

1. An optical apparatus comprising:

a polarization splitting element, with an input port and first and second output ports, where the polarization splitting element splits the orthogonal components of a received input signal into first and second output signals directed to the respective first and second output ports,

a first waveguide with an input port and an output port, where the input port is coupled to the first output port of the polarization splitting element, and

a second waveguide with an input port and an output port, where the input port is coupled to the second output port of the polarization splitting element, where the first and second waveguides have substantially the same waveguiding properties and the second waveguide is disposed less than one autocorrelation length from the first waveguide.

2. An optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the polarization splitting element splits the orthogonal components of the received input signal into substantially identically polarized first and second output signals directed to the respective first and second output ports.

3. An optical apparatus according to claim 1 , and further comprising:

a first signal processing system having an input port coupled to the output of the first waveguide, and

a second signal processing system having an input port coupled to the output of the second waveguide,

where the first and second signal processing systems are substantially identical and where the second signal processing system is adjacent to the first signal processing system on a substrate.

4. An optical apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second signal processing systems is comprised of one of the following:

a plurality of wavelength demultiplexers,

a plurality of modulators,

and a group comprised of:

a plurality of photodetectors and

a plurality of transistors.

5. An optical apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second signal processing systems is comprised of a wavelength dependent filter with a plurality of outputs that impinge on a plurality of photodetectors, and where the signals from the first signal processing system and second signal processing system are processed in the electronic domain to generate a signal that does not exhibit polarization dependence.

6. An optical apparatus comprising:

a polarization splitting element, with an input port and first and second output ports, wherein the polarization splitting element splits the orthogonal components of a received input signal into first and second output signals directed to the respective first and second output ports,

a first waveguide having an input port coupled to the first output port of the polarization splitting element and a second waveguide having an input port coupled to the second output port of the polarization splitting element, the first and second waveguides having substantially the same waveguiding properties and the second waveguide being adjacent to the first waveguide on a substrate, and

first and second signal processing systems, the first signal processing system having an input port coupled to an output port of the first waveguide and the second signal processing system having an input port coupled to an output port of the second waveguide, wherein the first and second signal processing systems are monolithically fabricated adjacent one another on a silicon substrate.

7. An optical apparatus comprising:

a polarization splitting element, with an input port and first and second output ports, where the polarization splitting element splits the orthogonal components of a received input signal into first and second output signals directed to the respective first and second output ports,

a first waveguide having an input port coupled to the first output port of the polarization splitting element and a second waveguide having an output port coupled to the second output port of the polarization splitting element, the first and second waveguides having substantially the same waveguiding properties, the second waveguide being adjacent to the first waveguide on a substrate, and

first and second signal processing systems, the first signal processing system having an input port coupled to an output port of the first waveguide and the second signal processing system having an input port coupled to an output port of the second waveguide, wherein the first and second signal processing systems are monolithically fabricated adjacent one another on a single silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate.

8. An optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the polarization splitting element and the first and second waveguides are disposed on a single substrate.

9. An optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second waveguides each support only a single mode of a single polarization.

10. An optical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first and second waveguides each support only a TE mode.

11. An optical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first and second waveguides each support only a TM mode.

12. An optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second waveguides are oriented along the same propagation axis.

13. An optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second waveguide is disposed no more than about 5 microns from the first waveguide.

14. An optical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second waveguides have substantially the same width, height, and material composition.

15. An optical apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the first and second waveguides are located on a substrate in sufficiently close proximity to diminish fabrication-process-induced differences but are configured to allow for substantially separate and independent propagation of signals through the first and second waveguides.