APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPTICAL MULTIPLEXING

In one aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus (100) for optical multiplexing for use in optical communication or optical sensing systems comprising of an optical processing device (105a, 105b, 105c) configured to effect temporal shifting of a plurality of optical signals that each comprises a train of periodic optical pulses, relative to each other at a given wavelength to consequently produce a plurality of optical signals that are temporally shifted relative to one another at the given wavelength and combine said plurality of optical signals to form a composite optical signal that is frequency shifted relative to any one of said plurality of optical signals to provide an optical carrier signal that can be modulated over a frequency channel at a given wavelength.