High-granularity channel selection using an electroabsorption modulator for ultrafast TDMA LAN applications

We demonstrate the use of an electroabsorption modulator to select a 2.5 Gbit/s channel from a 40 Gbit/s TDMA data stream. The channel selector is synchronised by means of a distributed optical clock. Here, we demonstrate the use of a novel TDMA channel selector unit based on an electroabsorption modulator. The demonstration has two unique features. The electroabsorption modulator is operated in a low duty cycle mode that allows high granularity channel selection and a distributed optical clock is used to synchronise the channel selector unit to the incoming data stream.