Polarization independent 4-stage OTDM multiplexer using plated GRIN lens

In this paper, a 4-stage optical time domain multiplexing (OTDM) multiplexer based on plated graded index (GRIN) lens is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A 10Gbit/s return-to-zero (RZ) signal is upgraded to 160Gbit/s. The time-domain accuracy of the multiplexer is evaluated by analyzing the multiplexed 160Gbit/s signal. Experimental results validate the stability of the optical multiplexing behavior and the polarization insensitivity of the proposed multiplexer. The results also show the advantages of our OTDM multiplexer such as the flexible output signal speeds at the output of different stages, the low insertion loss and the temperature and wavelength stability.