Ultrafast monolithically integrated InP-based photoreceiver: OEIC-design, fabrication, and system application

An InP-based photoreceiver OEIC for lambda =1.55 mu m with a bandwidth of 27 GHz is reported. The receiver design, fabrication and characterization is presented. The device consists of an optical waveguide-fed pin-photodiode and a coplanar traveling-wave amplifier being composed of four GaInAs-AlInAs-InP-HEMT's. The photodiode exhibits an external quantum efficiency of 30% and a 3-dB power bandwidth of 35 GHz. HEMT's with 0.7- mu m gate length, integrated on semi-insulating optical waveguide layers show cutoff frequencies fT/fmax of 37/100 GHz at zero gate bias. Traveling-wave amplifiers with 0.5- mu m gate HEMT's have 28-GHz bandwidth. The receiver OEIC is packaged into a module with fiber pigtail and operates successfully within an SDH based 20-Gb/s transmission system. An overall system sensitivity of -30.5 dBm was achieved at a BER=10-9 after signal transmission over 198-km dispersion shifted fiber