Compact 160-Gb/s add-drop multiplexer with a 40-Gb/s base rate using electroabsorption modulators

We report on the first 40-Gb/s-based 160-Gb/s add-drop multiplexer (ADM) using a pair of standing-wave enhanced electroabsorption modulator (EAM). Direct time-domain switching is performed without interferometers or optical control pulses as required by previously reported approaches, which indicates great advantages in compactness for the EAM-based ADM. Also, a 40-Gb/s base rate is attractive in realizing a more efficient 160-Gb/s system. Error-free operation for all channels is obtained with an average power penalty as low as 1 dB