Design of an opto-electronic modulator driver amplifier for 40-Gb/s data rate systems

This paper describes the design and performance of a broad-band driver amplifier for 40-Gb/s noreturn-to-zero system applications. The function of the amplifier is to raise the output from a multiplexer (nominally 0.4 V peak to peak) to a level of /spl sim/5 Vp-p, which is suitable to drive a GaAs-based Mach-Zehnder optoelectronic modulator. The amplifier module contains two GaAs pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistor traveling-wave MMICs fabricated on a 0.2-/spl mu/m gate process. The design issues relating to the specific requirements of a modulator driver amplifier and the techniques to resolve them are described.