Laser Diode Driver Research Articles

A 25-Gb/s 2.2-W 65-nm CMOS Optical Transceiver Using a Power-Supply-Variation-Tolerant Analog Front End and Data-Format Conversion

A one-chip optical transceiver for board-to-board transmission was developed by integrating an analog frontend (FE) with a data-format-conversion (DFC) block in 65-nm CMOS process technology. It was experimentally demonstrated that this transceiver can convert 10x 6.25-Gb/s electrical signals to 4x 25-Gb/s optical signals with 25% redundancy that improves resilience against possible laser diode (LD) failure. To alleviate degradation of the optical link due to power-supply variations, a power-supply-noise-tolerant 25-Gb/s analog FE (consisting of a TIA with a noise canceller and a fully differential LD driver) is proposed. The noise canceller can keep the power-supply variation below 0.2 mV at frequencies down to 1 MHz, and the fully differential LD driver can keep power-supply current variation below 0.64 mApp/ch, despite a large modulation current of 20 mApp. As for the transmission performance of the transceiver, eye diagrams experimentally confirmed 25-Gb/s and 6.25-Gb/s data-transmission rates. A 25-Gb/s optical-link test on the transceiver demonstrated error-free operation at -6.1-dBm OMA. Moreover, an image-transfer test on the transceiver operating at a data rate of 20 Gb/s through a 100-m multi-mode fiber was demonstrated. Total power consumption of the transceiver (including optics) was 2.2 W at full-channel operation.

The zero-switched laser diode driver

This paper describes the most common causes of damage to medium power laser diodes. It proposed the idea of a new control system solves the problem. That concept involves switching the laser diode at a minimum voltage and current values. This paper describes a sample application of the new concept of the laser diode driver. Finally, the paper shows the possible directions of further development of the proposed controller. Streszczenie. W publikacji omowiono typowe uszkodzenia diod laserowych średniej mocy. Przedstawiono w niej nową koncepcje ukladu sterującego, zabezpieczającego przed uszkodzeniami ESD. Idea koncepcji polega na wlączaniu i wylączaniu diody laserowej przy zerowych (minimalnych) wartościach napiecia i natezenia prądu zasilającego. Zaproponowano rowniez przykladową implementacje proponowanej koncepcji. W koncowej cześci przedstawiono kierunki dalszego rozwoju i mozliwości innych zastosowan opisanego sposobu sterowania. (Przelączalny w zerze sterownik diody laserowej).

Enhancement of Dynamic Range of Optical Fiber Sensor Using Fiber Bragg Grating Fabry–Pérot Interferometer With Pulse-Position Modulation Scheme: Compensation of Source Wavelength-Sweep Nonlinearity

A fiber optic vibration sensor using a fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot interferometer with a wavelength-swept laser diode source, which works well for the case of small strain-amplitude vibration, exhibits inaccuracies in the interrogation caused by the nonlinearity of the wavelength modulation in the source when the strain amplitude due to vibration is large. With increasing the frequency of the wavelength sweep, the span of the wavelength sweep is reduced and the nonlinearity is pronounced. We experimentally characterize the nonlinearity, and by using a fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer as a wavelength reference, we compensate it to enhance the accuracy of the interrogation for large strain-amplitude vibration. The proposed sensor achieves vibration measurement with a strain resolution of 0.3 ne/√{Hz} , measurement time of 10 μs, and maximum measurable value of 34 μe at the wavelength-sweep frequency of 100 kHz under the present condition. The measurement time is limited by the capability of the laser diode driver, and the maximum measurable strain would be easily enhanced by increasing the wavelength-modulation current amplitude.

Terabit/Sec VCSEL-Based 48-Channel Optical Module Based on Holey CMOS Transceiver IC

We report here on the design, fabrication and characterization of 48-channel parallel optical transceivers demonstrating terabit/sec data transfer rate. The 0.48 Tb/s transmit plus 0.48 Tb/s receive throughput was achieved using a second-generation single-chip holey CMOS transceiver IC. In addition to 24 receiver (RX) and 24 laser diode driver circuits, the 5.2 mm × 5.8 mm single CMOS chip incorporates 48 through-substrate optical vias (holes), one for each transmitter (TX) and RX channel. A complete holey Optochip is formed following direct flip-chip attachment of 24-channel 850-nm VCSEL and PD arrays. The 48 optical vias enable optical access to the 24 VCSELs and 24 PDs. The holey Optochip concept provides a dense chip-scale package which is fully compatible with industry-standard top emitting/detecting 850-nm VCSELs/PDs providing optimized high-speed performance through close integration of the optoelectronic (OE) devices with their drive electronics. Furthermore, the optical vias and OE devices are arranged in a 4 × 12 array on 250 μm × 250 μ m pitch to facilitate direct fiber-coupling to a standard 4 × 12 multi-mode fiber array. The Optochips are packaged into complete modules by flip-chip soldering to high-density, high-speed organic carriers. A pluggable connector soldered to the bottom of the carrier provides all module electrical I/O. The 18 mm × 18 mm overall module area is dictated by the 0.8 mm-pitch ball grid array (BGA) of the organic carrier and connector. Fully functional holey Optomodules with 24 TX and 24 RX channels operate up to 20 Gb/s/ch achieving efficiencies (including both TX and RX) of 7.3 pJ/bit. The terabit/sec data rate (480 Gb/s TX + 480 Gb/s RX) is highest reported for single-chip CMOS transceiver modules.

An appication of PLDs in diode laser drivers

Firstly, this paper describes the main reasons of damages laser diodes. Then, it is proposed a new concept of a diode driver. Its concept, is based on switching a laser diode at zero conditions. This means that a diode should be turned on when the current throught it and voltage across it is safely small. This makes it necessary to concurrent change the several control parameters of the circuit. The PLDs, such as FPGAs, are excellent for controlling multi-parametric drivers. The presented idea can be applied not only in the laser diode drivers, but also in multichannel LEDs power supplies.

Focus on lasers and imaging

Focus on lasers and imaging

25-Gb/s 6.5-pJ/bit 90-nm CMOS-Driven Multimode Optical Link

We report an 850-nm, vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL)-based optical link that achieves new benchmarks in speed and power efficiency. The laser diode driver and receiver ICs are fabricated in standard 90-nm bulk CMOS, and the gallium arsenide optoelectronic devices are commercial components. An operation at a bit-error rate less than 10-12 at 25 Gb/s is achieved, representing the highest speed reported to date for a CMOS-based full optical link. At 22 Gb/s, the link power efficiency is 3.8 pJ/bit and improves further at lower data rates, attaining a minimum of 2.6 pJ/bit at 15 Gb/s. The efficiency numbers reported here, which include a complete accounting of the power dissipation of all the components, are the best reported for any optical interconnect in any technology. This work demonstrates the scalability of VCSEL-based links in both efficiency and speed to meet the demanding requirements of next-generation exa-scale computing and large data center systems.

25-Gb/s 100-m MMF Transmission Using a Prototype 1.3-$\mu{\rm m}$-Range CMOS-Based Transceiver for Optical Interconnections

A prototype transceiver composed of a 1.3-μm-range lens-integrated laser diode and photodiode as well as a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) laser diode driver and a CMOS transimpedance amplifier for high-speed optical interconnections was developed. It demonstrated 25-Gb/s error-free 100-m multimode fiber transmission, with power dissipation of only 9 mW/Gb/s, for the first time.

Cryogenic digital data links for the liquid argon time projection chamber

In this paper we present the cryogenic functionality of the components of data links for the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC), a potential far site detector technology of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE). We have confirmed that an LVDS driver can drive a 20-meter CAT5E twisted pair up to 1 gigabit per second at the liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). We have verified that a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) serializer, a laser diode driver, laser diodes, optical fibers and connectors, and field-programming gate arrays (FPGA`s) continue to function at 77 K. A variety of COTS resistors and capacitors have been tested at 77 K. All tests we have conducted show that the cryogenic digital data links for the liquid argon time projection chamber are promising.

Area-Effective Inductive Peaking with Interwoven Inductor for High-Speed Laser-Diode Driver for Optical Communication System

This paper presents an area-effective bandwidth enhancement technique using interwoven inductors. Inductive peaking is a common practice for bandwidth enhancement, however the area overhead of inductors is a serious issue. We implement six or four inductors into an interwoven inductor. Furthermore parasitics of the inductors can be reduced. The proposed inductor is applied to a laser-diode driver in a 0.18µm CMOS. Compared to conventional shunt-peaking, the proposed circuit achieves 1.6 times faster operation and 60% reduction in power consumption under the condition for the same amount of data transmission and the LD driving current. The interwoven inductor can reduce the circuit area by 26%. Parasitic capacitance in interwoven inductor is discussed. Simulation results reveal that line-to-line capacitance is a significant factor on bandwidth degradation.

A 25 Gb/s 65-nm CMOS Low-Power Laser Diode Driver With Mutually Coupled Peaking Inductors for Optical Interconnects

A 25 Gb/s laser diode (LD) driver has been developed on the basis of standard 65 nm CMOS technology for optical interconnects. The LD driver consists of a main driver capable of providing an average current of 30 mA and a predriver providing a gain of 20 dB. The main driver uses mutually coupled inductors to adjust the inductive peaking to improve eye patterns under various packaging conditions. The predriver uses CMOS active feedback to achieve a wide bandwidth and high gain, despite its small size and low power consumption. The fabricated circuit achieves data rates of 25 Gb/s, consumes 156 mW (6.3 mW/Gb/s) and occupies an area of 0.011 mm2 .

Studying and improvement of Laser Diode Driver performance at 1Gb/s in optical communication system

The Laser Diode Driver (LDD) is an important part in optical communication system; it acts as an interface between the data source and the optical source (Laser). The design of this circuit using CMOS technology which has low conductivity (gm), (less than from bipolar technology), is a challenge for designers especially at high data rate (>1 GB/s) because LDD must provide high current swing to obtain large optical output power. In this research a simulation software using Personal Simulation Program with IC Emphasis PSPICE (2006) is used to study the performance of the LDD circuit using (0.18µmCMOS technology) at (1 GB/s), the peak to peak jitter is (110ps). In addition analyzing an automatic power control circuit, so that when changing the temperature from (0 – 80˚C) the Laser current changing is (5mA), and an improvement of reference voltage circuit has been added, since a constant voltage (319mV) achieved when the power supply voltage changes from (2.15-6V). Keywords: Laser Diode Driver , pre-driver , Extinction Ratio.

A 24-Channel, 300 Gb/s, 8.2 pJ/bit, Full-Duplex Fiber-Coupled Optical Transceiver Module Based on a Single “Holey” CMOS IC

We report here on the design, fabrication, and high-speed performance of a compact 48-channel optical transceiver module enabled by a key novel component: a “holey” Optochip. A single CMOS transceiver chip with 24 receiver (RX) and 24 laser diode driver circuits, measuring 5.2 mm × 5.8 mm, becomes a holey Optochip with the fabrication of forty-eight through-substrate optical vias (holes): one for each transmitter (TX) and RX channel. Twenty-four channel, 850-nm VCSEL and photodiode arrays are directly flip-chip soldered to the Optochip with their active devices centered on the optical vias such that optical I/O is accessed through the substrate of the CMOS IC. The holey Optochip approach offers numerous advantages: 1) full compatibility with top emitting/detecting 850-nm VCSELs/PDs that are currently produced in high volumes; 2) close integration of the VCSEL/PD devices with their drive electronics for optimized high-speed performance; 3) a small-footprint, chip-scale package that minimizes CMOS die cost while maximizing transceiver packing density; 4) direct coupling to standard 4 × 12 multimode fiber arrays through a 2-lens optical system; and 5) straightforward scaling to larger 2-D arrays of TX and RX channels. Complete transceiver modules, or holey Optomodules, have been produced by flip-chip soldering assembled Optochips to high-density, high-speed organic carriers. A pluggable connector soldered to the bottom of the Optomodule provides all module electrical I/O. The Optomodule footprint, dictated by the 1-mm connector pitch, is 21 mm × 21 mm. Fully functional holey Optomodules with 24 TX and 24 RX channels operate up to 12.5 Gb/s/ch achieving efficiencies (including both TX and RX) of 8.2 pJ/bit. The aggregate 300-Gb/s bi-directional data rate is the highest ever reported for single-chip transceiver modules.

A new design of pulsed laser diode driver system for multistate quantum key distribution

In this paper, we describe a new design of laser diode driver system based on MOSFET current mirror and digital signal controller (DSC). The system is designed to emit stream pairs of photons from three semiconductor laser diodes. The DSC is able to switch between the three laser diodes at constant rate. The duty cycle is maintained at 1% in order to reduce its thermal effect and thus prolong the laser diodes’ life cycles. The MOSFET current mirror circuits are capable of delivering constant modulation current with peak current up to 58 mA to each laser diode. This laser driver system will allow the generating biphotons automatically with qubit rate around 8–13% for μ less than or equal to 1, thus making it practical for six-states quantum key distribution implementation.

A 1.25 Gb/s laser diode driver with pulse width optimization

A 1.25 Gb/s laser diode driver (LDD) with pulse width optimization has been implemented in a 0.6-μm BiCMOS process. This paper illustrates the relation between the pulse width distortion (PWD) of the output eye diagram and the driving amplitude from the second pre-amplifier. Also, a specific current setting circuit working together with an LDD is proposed to generate the optimum driving amplitude and to avoid device nonlinearity, temperature variation and process deviation. The measured results show a maximum crossing deviation of −3% and indicate the desired independence and stability.

A fast automatic power control circuit for a small form-factor pluggable laser diode drive

A fast automatic power control (APC) circuit for a laser diode driver (LDD) has been implemented in a 0.6-μm BiCMOS process. The APC circuit adopts double-loops and variable-bandwidth techniques to achieve a turn-on time of < 400 μs for most kinds of TOSAs. Thus, it meets the small form-factor pluggable (SFP) agreement. Such techniques make a good tradeoff between stability, accuracy, turn-on time, noise and convenience. The measured results indicate that the APC circuit is suitable for SFP LDD.

Automated Power Control for Mobile Laser Speckle Imaging System

Recently, Laser Speckle Imaging (LSI) has been applied to measure blood perfusion in human skin. Attractive features of LSI are its temporal resolution and relatively simple instrumentation. The progressive reduction in the cost and size of camera technology now enables development of mobile LSI instrumentation. To reduce the size of LSI to a mobile platform, we are faced with new challenges in terms of reducing power consumption and heat without sacrificing detection accuracy. To address these challenges, we propose pulsed laser operation using a new automated power control (APC) circuit. By synchronizing the pulses to the laser diode driver with the camera shutter, the camera detects a similar raw speckle image as before while consuming only a small fraction of the power. Furthermore, the reduced power consumption in turn keeps the temperature of the case low, increasing the stability of the system. We validated our solution using simulations in Pspice, and we evaluated the operation of the circuit using a prototype APC board and a commercial camera.

Synchronisation and chaos in a laser diode driven by a resonant tunnelling diode

The authors report on a hybrid integration of a resonant tunnelling diode laser diode driver configuration that can operate as a self-oscillating circuit, and when externally perturbed shows regions of frequency division and frequency multiplication, quasi-periodic and chaotic oscillations, both in the optical and electrical outputs. The authors also demonstrate that this optoelectronic circuit is well described as a Liénard&apos;s oscillator. The synchronisation capabilities of the circuit have potentially novel functions for optical communications systems including clock recovery, clock division and data encryption.

The Driver Circuit and Focusing Lens Designed for the Laser Range-Finder

This paper has partitioned the laser range-finder into two parts: one is the laser diode (LD) driver circuit and the other is the focusing lens. The LD’s surface temperature rise will affect the LD’s light-power simultaneously when an LD works in a steady current. For this reason, we designed a driver circuit to control the LD’s light power to be effective and so as to freely adjust the LD’s brightness. There are three parts in driver circuit: the regulated power circuits, the regulated current circuit, and the limited current circuit. This investigation used a power meter to measure the LD’s power which was relative to the surface temperature. Then the experimental results were compared with the PSpice simulation, and the differences between the result and the simulation were eventually analyzed. The limited current circuit is an important part in our systems because the LD is easily damaged when active current is unstable. Similarly, the surface temperature would be raised after the LD is working for a while which results in the circuit failure. If the LD has worked for a very long time, the heat generated in the circuit should be taken care of. Therefore, we added an automatic power control circuit (APC) into the LD driver circuit in order to reduce the impact of heat. The emitted distance of laser beam could be up to 10 meters with adjusted focusing lens. The laser spot was extended into an ellipse before focusing laser beams. Therefore, we had to put a focal lens to shape the the laser spot into a circular spot. During this experiment, the LD did not work directly without installing the heat sink. Otherwise, the high temperature would damage LD immediately.

Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication Principles A 3.3 V 12.5 Gb/s 0.2 m SiGe BiCMOS Laser Diode Driver Using Bias Current Modulation Cancellation

A low supply voltage fully-integrated 12.5 Gb/s laser diode driver IC was realized in a 0.2 mum 60 GHz fT SiGe BiCMOS process. A three-fold power consumption reduction versus existing drivers was achieved by using a 3.3 V supply and a dynamic emitter follower having a local positive feedback loop that boosts the drive strength of the leg that controls the turning-off output switch, without taking additional supply power. Low voltage operation was achieved by replacing the tail current source of the output switch with a resistor and setting the current value with a common-mode feedback loop. A direct on-chip summation of bias and modulation currents was realized by using a bias modulation canceling circuit and a cascode current generator with series damping resistor. The signal path peaking and ringing was reduced with RC compensation networks that critically damp both the last emitter follower which drives a large load capacitance and the output switch parasitic LC circuit. A virtually constant dynamic performance was achieved for a wide range of modulation currents by using adjustable voltage swings and tail currents in the driver back-end stages. Laser diode driver IC specifications include: 3-3.6 V supply voltage, <70 mA supply current (excluding output current), 20-100 mA modulation current range, 1-100 mA bias current range, <12 pspp deterministic jitter, <25 ps rise/fall time, 10% to 90% pulse width adjustment and 1.5 X 1.5 mm2 die area.