Asynchronous detection of optical code division multiple access signals using a bandwidthefficient and wavelength-aware receiver

We experimentally demonstrate what we believe to be a novel detection scheme for interfacing asynchronous optical code division multiple access (CDMA) signals with an electronic clock and data recovery system that operates only at the baseband bandwidth. This allows using a large optical bandwidth expansion factor in which the optical chip rate is much larger than the bandwidth of the optoelectronic receiver. The received optical CDMA signal is launched into a four-wave-mixing-based wavelength-aware all-optical front end that rejects multiaccess interference, followed by an amplitude-noise suppression stage comprised of a semiconductor optical amplifier. The clean signal is then converted into a non-return-to-zero-like signal by a baseband receiver. Using the proposed detection scheme, asynchronous transmission and detection of optical CDMA signals is implemented. With the novel detection scheme, the classic CDMA near-far problem is mitigated, and error-free detection is easily obtained.