Transmission and label encoding/erasure of orthogonally labelled signal using 40 Gbit/s RZ-DPSK payload and 2.5 Gbit/s IM label

A novel orthogonal optical labelling scheme based on an RZ-DPSK payload and an intensity modulated label is proposed. Label insertion, erasure and transmission over a 50 km singlemode fibre link of a 40 Gbit/s RZ-DPSK payload together with an optical 2.5 Gbit/s IM label are experimentally demonstrated for the first time.