THE STARNET COHERENT WDM COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORK - EXPERIMENTAL TRANSCEIVER EMPLOYING A NOVEL MODULATION FORMAT

We have designed, constructed, and investigated an experimental transc eiver employing a novel combined PSK and ASK modulation format for the STARNET coherent WDM computer communication network. Using this exper imental transceiver, we show that it is possible to transmit and recei ve 2.488 Gb/s PSK circuit-switched data and 125 Mb/s ASK packet-switch ed data on the same lightwave. The experimental transceiver employs a custom integrated-optic LiNbO3 Modulator with both phase and amplitude sections, a 2.488 Gb/s tunable PSK heterodyne receiver, and a 125 Mb/ s ASK heterodyne receiver. Both receivers function properly with error rates less than 10(-9) and a sensitivity of -32.1 dBm; the correspond ing optimum ASK modulation depth is 0.57. The resulting network power budget is 26.6 dB.