Optical communication, telecommunication, and photonic components and subsystems, namely, modules, lasers, optical waveguides, optical filters, modulators, and optical network routers and switches, for use in optical, agile, dynamic, reconfigurable, and intelligent networks; photonic components, modules and subsystems for wavelength signal routing, monitoring and conditioning, namely, lasers, light waveguides, light filters and modulators, electro-optical waveguides, fiberoptic light switches and fiberoptic light amplifiers; photonic components and subsystems for wavelength management and control in wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) and dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) optical networks, namely, modules, electronic circuits and computer software for the purpose of wavelength management and control; programmable optical network routers, switches and branching switches for remotely tuning or setting wavelengths in optical, agile, dynamic, reconfigurable, and intelligent networks; programmable tunable grating modules for wavelength channel switching and routing; WDM and DWDM optical channel filters; tunable optical channel filters; dynamic wavelength channel switches and routers; diffraction gratings; Bragg gratings; tunable Bragg gratings; tunable grating modules; grating-based modules for wavelength channel switching and routing; grating-based modules for WDM and DWDM channel filtering; grating-based modules for wavelength referencing; athermal gratings; tunable athermal gratings; passive athermal gratings; athermal channel optical filters; tunable WDM and DWDM optical channel filters; grating-based sensor networks; grating-based sensors; fiber optic sensors; fiberoptic light amplifiers; devices for monitoring optical wavelengths; devices for monitoring optical signals; optical channel analyzers; lasers that are tunable to different optical wavelengths; pump lasers and pump laser stabilizers not for medical use; fiber optic sources; optical sources; reconfigurable add/drop routers; add/drop multiplexers; multi-channel add/drop multiplexers; reconfigurable add/drop multiplexers; WDM and DWDM multiplexers; multiplexers; demultiplexers; cross connects; optical connectors; optical couplers; optical switches; optical transmitters; optical receivers; optical network routers; optical amplifiers; dynamic-dispersion compensators; dynamic gain equalization optical filters; optical filters; wavelength converters; interleavers; fixed gain equalizing optical filters; computer programs, software and firmware for use in signal routing, control, monitoring and conditioning; computer programs, software and firmware for use in wavelength management and control; computer programs, software and firmware for optical network and element management, interfacing and control; computer programs, software and firmware for optical telecommunications network diagnostics; computer programs, software and firmware for monitoring and controlling optical elements in wavelength agile, dynamic telecommunication, reconfigurable telecommunication, and intelligent networks; optical network routers and switches, light filters, lasers, light waveguides, and modulators, employing the foregoing computer programs, software and firmware