100 Gbit/s PAM-4 Linear Burst-Mode Transimpedance Amplifier for Upstream Flexible Passive Optical Networks
Gertjan Coudyzer, Michiel Verplaetse, Borre Van Lombergen, Robert Borkowski, Thibaut Gurne, Michael Straub, Yannick Lefevre, Peter Ossieur, R. Bonk, Werner Coomans, Jochen Maes, Xin Yin
Abstract
Next-generation passive optical networks (PONs) with upstream rates of 50 Gbit/s and beyond will require a new class of burst-mode transimpedance amplifiers (BMTIAs) that are linear to enable (digital) equalization of channel impairments. Such linear BMTIAs also enable higher-order modulation formats like 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4). In this paper, we demonstrate operation of a novel linear BMTIA integrated together with a commercial off-the-shelf 25G-class avalanche photodiode (APD), achieving 50 Gbit/s non-return-to-zero (NRZ) operation with a sensitivity of −23.7 dBm optical modulation amplitude (OMA) and dynamic range exceeding 21.7 dB and 100 Gbit/s PAM-4 operation with a sensitivity of −15.8 dBm OMA and dynamic range exceeding 15.4 dB, both at a bit error ratio (BER) of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{-2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> . In addition, fast burst-mode gain-control and balancing circuits limit loud-soft sensitivity penalties in the case of AC-coupled circuits to less than 1.3 dB. The chip was designed in a 0.13 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula> m SiGe:C BiCMOS technology, has an area of 1.2 × 1.7 mm <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and consumes between 260 mW and 310 mW. This receiver paves the way to a next-generation class of BMTIAs, supporting the ITU-T G.9804.3 Amd 1 standard.