Method and system for integrated power combiners

1. A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:

a chip comprising a polarization controller, said polarization controller comprising an input optical waveguide, optical couplers, and a polarization-splitting grating coupler, said chip being operable to:

generate two output signals from a first optical coupler that receives an input signal from said input optical waveguide;

phase modulate one or both of said two output signals to configure a phase offset between said two generated output signals before communicating signals with said phase offset to a second optical coupler;

phase modulate one or both optical signals generated by said second optical coupler to configure a phase offset between signals communicated to said polarization-splitting grating coupler; and

launch an optical signal of a desired polarization into an optical fiber via said polarization-splitting grating coupler by combining said signals communicated to said polarization-splitting grating coupler.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said optical couplers comprise grating couplers.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said optical couplers comprise multi-mode interference couplers.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said optical couplers comprise multi-stage cascaded directional couplers.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said chip comprises a CMOS chip.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said chip is operable to monitor optical power in waveguides coupling said optical couplers using optical detectors, wherein said monitoring of optical power is used to determine a desired phase offset between said signals received at said second optical coupler.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein said chip is operable to communicate optical signals to said optical detectors utilizing optical taps in said coupling waveguides.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said polarization controller comprises a plurality of stages.

9. A method for processing optical signals, the method comprising:

in a chip comprising a polarization controller, said polarization controller comprising an input optical fiber, two output waveguides, optical couplers, and a polarization-splitting grating coupler:

generating two output signals from said polarization-splitting grating coupler that receives an input signal from said input optical fiber;

phase modulating one or both of said two output signals to configure a phase offset between said two generated output signals before communicating signals with said phase offset to a first optical coupler;

phase modulating one or both optical signals generated by said first optical coupler to configure a phase offset between signals communicated to a second optical coupler; and

launching optical signals of desired polarizations into said output waveguides via said second optical coupler.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said optical couplers comprise grating couplers.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said optical couplers comprise multi-mode interference couplers.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said optical couplers comprise multi-stage cascaded directional couplers.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said chip comprises a CMOS chip.

14. The method according to claim 9 , comprising monitoring optical power in waveguides coupling said optical couplers using optical detectors, wherein said monitoring of optical power is used to determine a desired phase offset between said signals received at said second optical coupler.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said polarization controller comprises a plurality of stages.

16. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said polarization controller comprises a single stage.

17. A system for processing optical signals, the system comprising:

a chip comprising a polarization controller, said polarization controller comprising an input optical waveguide, optical couplers, and a polarization-splitting grating coupler, said chip being operable to:

generate two output signals from a polarization splitting grating coupler that receives an input signal from said input optical waveguide;

phase modulate one or both of said two output signals to configure a phase offset between said two generated output signals before communicating signals with said phase offset to a first optical coupler;

phase modulate one or both optical signals generated by said first optical coupler to configure a phase offset between signals communicated to a second optical coupler; and

launch an optical signal of a desired polarization into an optical fiber via said second optical coupler.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein said chip is operable to monitor optical power in waveguides coupling said optical couplers using optical detectors, wherein said monitoring of optical power is used to determine a desired phase offset between said signals received at said second optical coupler.

19. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said chip is operable to communicate optical signals to said optical detectors utilizing optical taps in said coupling waveguides.

20. The system according to claim 17 , wherein said polarization controller comprises a plurality of stages.