28 GBd PAM-8 transmission over a 100 nm range using an InP-Si3N4 based integrated dual tunable laser module

This paper describes the detailed characterization of a novel InP-Si3N4 dual laser module with results revealing relative intensity noise (RIN) as low as -165 dB/Hz and wide wavelength tunability (100 nm). The hybrid coupled laser is deployed in an unamplified 28 GBd 8 level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) short-reach data center (DC) transmission system. System performance, which is experimentally evaluated in terms of received signal bit error ratio (BER), demonstrates the ability of the proposed laser module to support PAM-8 transmission across a 100 nm tuning range with less than 1 dB variance in receiver sensitivity over the operating wavelength range. Comparative performance studies not only indicate that the proposed source can outperform a commercial external cavity laser (ECL) in an intensity modulation/direct detection (IM/DD) link but also highlight the critical impact of RIN in the design of advanced modulation short-reach systems. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

This paper presents a detailed characterization of a novel InP-Si3N4 dual laser module, demonstrating low RIN and wide wavelength tunability. Experimental results show that the module can effectively support PAM-8 transmission and outperform a commercial external cavity laser.