CST Global’s 850nm VCSEL

These lasers are expected to be used for data transmission rates of 50Gbit/s.

VCSELs have the benefit of offering a high bandwidth at low power and low cost solution.

Iain Eddie explains:

“The VCSELs and GaAs PIN photo-diodes used in Active Optical Cable (AOC) links must deliver 50Gbit/s or more, to meet anticipated demand.

“We have designed and fabricated new 850nm VCSELs and photo-detectors with low capacitance for high-speed operation.

“We have then, successfully, demonstrated how VCSEL aperture size can enable modulation bandwidths of up to 27GHz with data transmission rates of up to 50Gbit/s.”

His conference paper this week will report back on the ADDAPT project (Adaptive Data and Power Aware Transceivers for Optical Communications), a Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) funded by the European Commission.

This project seeks to combine the complementary competences of two universities and three commercial organisations, including device manufacture by CST Global in Glasgow.