A 10 Gb/s high sensitivity, monolithically integrated p-i-n-HEMT optical receiver

A high-sensitivity, monolithically integrated optical receiver, composed of a p-i-n-PD and high electron mobility transistors (p-i-n-HEMTs) is described. The receiver sensitivity is -17.3 dBm at a bit error rate of 1*10/sup -9/ for a 10-Gb/s non-return-to-zero (NRZ) lightwave signal. This value is the best result yet reported for 10-Gb/s monolithically integrated receivers. The sensitivity is -30.6 dBm if an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is placed ahead of the p-i-n-NEMT receiver. A transmission experiment using a 150-km dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF) indicates no degradation in the bit error rate characteristics or the eye pattern. This verifies the practicality of the p-i-n-HEMT optical receiver for high-speed transmission systems.<
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