Reconfigurable optical quadrature amplitude modulation converter/encoder using a tunable complex coefficient optical tapped delay line

We experimentally demonstrate a reconfigurable optical converter/encoder for quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signals. The system utilizes nonlinear wavelength multicasting, conversion-dispersion delays, and simultaneous nonlinear multiplexing and sampling. We show baud rate tunability (31 and 20 Gbaud) and reconfigurable conversions from lower-order QAM signals to higher-order QAM signals (e.g., 64-QAM).