Simultaneous subchannel data updating for multiple channels of 16-quadrature amplitude modulation signals using a single periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide.

Subchannel data updating of high-order modulation format signals using cascaded sum- and difference-frequency generation in a single periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide is demonstrated. One quadrature phase-shift-keying subchannel of a 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal at 40 Gbit/s is successfully updated, with an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) penalty of ~2 dB for return-to-zero and ~4 dB for non-return-to-zero at a bit-error rate (BER) of 2×10(-3). Simultaneous processing of four wavelength-multiplexed 16-QAM signals with an average OSNR penalty of 4.5 dB at a BER of 2×10(-3) is also demonstrated.