All optical wavelength independent packet header replacement using a long CW region generated directly from the packet flag

We experimentally demonstrate wavelength-independent all-optical packet header replacement at 1 Gb/s. The new header is modulated onto a relatively long continuous-wave region that was created by repeatedly replicating the string of "1\´s" in the original packet\´s flag. Consequently, the wavelength of the new header is at exactly the same wavelength as that of the original payload. A power penalty of /spl sim/1.5 dB at a bit-error rate =10/sup -9/ is measured when performing the header replacement.