1 Gb/s operation and bit-error rate studies of FET-SEED diode-clamped smart-pixel optical receivers

Experimental studies of the bit-error rate (BER) of diode-clamped optical receivers based on FET-SEED technology are described. 1 Gb/s operation of a receiver with optical input and electrical output is obtained. A strong dependence of the BER on clamping voltage is reported, confirming the digital nature of the receiver. The best receiver sensitivity measured at 1 Gb/s and an error rate of 1/spl times/10/sup -9/ is roughly -11 dBm. At 622 Mb/s, it is -22 dBm.<
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