VCSEL Integrated Circuit Drivers: A Review

Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) are considered to be an attractive choice for short-range optical interconnects in data acquisition systems. As the limited bandwidth of VCSEL is the major obstacle to achieving higher data rates in these optical systems, significant effort has been made to develop efficient VCSEL drivers in CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS processes to increase data rate while consuming less power. This paper sheds light on the design choices for the technology, modulation format, VCSEL configuration, and pre-emphasis techniques for a targeted performance based on an overview of the popular approaches to implementing low-power high-speed VCSEL drivers, with an emphasis on the challenges associated with designing drivers suitable for working in harsh environments.