Two-dimensional fiber optical data link using self-electrooptic effect device modulators and OEIC detectors

Abstract

A 4 × 4 (16-channel) parallel optical data link was demonstrated that used extensible arrays of selfelectrooptic effect device (SEED) modulators1 and an array of commercially available OEIC detectors. The link consisted of a GaAs quantum well modulator array, a custom multimode fiber bundle conduit, and a multichip module receiver array. A laser diode was used for the optical power supply and was mounted on an aluminum V-plate along with the modulator array and commercially available optics for imaging the SEED output into the fiber bundle. Each modulator consisted of a single MQW diode of a symmetric SEED pair, thus the links were single rail. Sixteen SEED modulators with 10-μm round windows were used within a 16 × 8 array spaced on a 160 × 160 μm pitch. The receiver multichip module consisted of sixteen Antel AOE1003 integrated detector/amplifiers mounted in a 4 × 4 format on a 2.62-mm pitch. The system operated synchronously at 35 Mbps/channel. We show link performance (speed, crosstalk, skew, power dissipation) and describe possible uses of this system for board to board interconnection.