Optical time division multiplexing: systems and networks

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Abstract
The recent advances in optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) systems and components research show the technique to be highly suited to the generation and transmission of high capacity data on a single optical carrier. This approach uses a single wavelength to carry capacities of at least 40 Gb/s. Such systems are based on a clock frequency and tributary data rates which are easily accessible using electronic components. Short optical pulses are used in a return-to-zero data transmission format with temporal interleaving to map a number of optical data channels into a single electronic clock cycle. It is an approach that can be used to achieve extremely high data-rate bit interleaved systems. This article summarizes the developments in this field and outlines a possible methodology to evolve transport networks to encompass the potential that both WDM and OTDM have to offer.