Abstract

The use of subcarrier multiplexing (SCM) for the optical transmission of multigigabit/second signals^1-5 is an attractive alternative to either time-division multiplexing (TDM) or wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). For example, SCM systems can be used to multiplex 1.2 or 2.4 Gb/s SONET signals to total data rates which are N times that of available SONET multiplexers. With commercial frequency-stabilized microwave oscillators, multichannel SCM transmitters are expected to be highly cost competitive with multichannel WDM transmitters which require frequency stabilized DFB lasers. The limited power budgets of multigigabit/sec SCM systems can be overcome by using either coherent detection or optical amplifiers.

© 1991 Optical Society of America