  We propose and model an optical communication scheme for short distance
datacom links based on the distribution of information across a wide comb
spectrum. This modulation format, orthogonal delay division multiplexing,
allows the multiplexing of data streams from multiple modulators, as well as
the deserialization and equalization of the data in the optical domain. A
concrete communication system, that allows the transport of 400 Gb/s across a
single CWDM channel with a single 80 GHz cutoff lithium niobate on insulator
modulator, is modeled under consideration of all noise sources present in the
system and its sensitivity to group velocity dispersion is analyzed. Data is
deserialized and equalized at the receiver with a 5-tap optical equalizer. This
communication architecture may provide a path forward to implement
high-baud-rate signaling in short-reach optical links without requiring
high-speed ADCs and electronic deserializers at the receiver, thus maintaining
the in-package power consumption at manageable levels.
