Fiber-optic communications use several models inherited from traditional telecommunications systems. Recently, the need to improve the control over the data flow has attracted attention to the advantages of adaptive optical communication. In adaptive systems, the data flow can be altered due to changes in the channel quality or simply to rationalize the use of available resources. Interoperation between networks further presses on the need for an elastic network and the expectation is that this type of network will allow control over various levels of the communication structure. In this thesis, the analysis of this theme focuses on the physical layer of the optical network, where elasticity can be obtained through different modulation and multiplexing techniques. The physical layer of an adaptive optical network must respond to variations and restrictions of the transmission medium. Energy consumption, for example, is a requirement that is increasingly present in communication network projects and the relevance of this requirement tends to increase as optical networks expands in capillarity. The main objective of this thesis is to analyze an adaptive optical communication solution that meets the basic requirements of an elastic network. The communication system under analysis is based on the four-dimensional signal space modulations, also known as 4D modulations. The perspective adopted favors the polarization of the optical carrier. The advantage in adopting this perspective resides in the fact that it allows the construction of multidimensional modulations using Hopf bundles. As will be observed, the use of Hopf bundles in conjunction with the mathematical concept called embedded vertex polytopes, improves the engineering solutions to the problem of adaptive optical communication.