Integrated gain-controlled semiconductor optical amplifier for input-power range extension in 100 Gb/s upstream PON receiver applications
- 1Munster Technological University
Abstract
High-speed operation for upstream passive optical network (PON) applications enabled by bias-controlled operation of silicon photonics integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) is demonstrated in a continuous-mode back-to-back configuration. The InP-based C-band SOAs are heterogeneously integrated onto a 400 nm thick silicon waveguide using micro-transfer printing technology. Optimized apodized grating couplers are designed and incorporated to minimize fiber-to-chip coupling loss (2.5 dB). The integrated SOAs exhibit small-signal on-chip gains of 15–17 dB at a bias current of 120 mA. When the integrated SOA is employed as a receiver-side preamplifier in a 100 Gb/s four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4) upstream PON application, bias optimization across received power levels extends the SOA operating input power range to 22 dB while mitigating pattern-dependent distortion arising from SOA gain saturation. A minimum SOA input power of −23 dBm is achieved at the hard-decision forward error-correction threshold, referenced to the on-chip SOA input and excluding input grating-coupler loss. These results demonstrate the potential of heterogeneously integrated, bias-controlled SOAs as compact preamplifiers for extending the operating input power range of next-generation high-speed upstream PON receivers.
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BibTeX
@article{ghosh2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated gain-controlled semiconductor optical amplifier for input-power range extension in 100 Gb/s upstream PON receiver applications}},
author = {Samir Ghosh and Fariba Jamali and Owen Moynihan and Artem S. Vorobev and Chinna Devarapu and Cleitus Antony and Kevin Thomas and Emanuele Pelucchi and Liam O’Faolain and Paul Townsend and Brian Corbett},
journal = {Optics Express},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1364/oe.614704},
url = {https://opg.optica.org/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-34-21-39718},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrated gain-controlled semiconductor optical amplifier for input-power range extension in 100 Gb/s upstream PON receiver applications
AU - Samir Ghosh
AU - Fariba Jamali
AU - Owen Moynihan
AU - Artem S. Vorobev
AU - Chinna Devarapu
AU - Cleitus Antony
AU - Kevin Thomas
AU - Emanuele Pelucchi
AU - Liam O’Faolain
AU - Paul Townsend
AU - Brian Corbett
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Optics Express
DO - 10.1364/oe.614704
UR - https://opg.optica.org/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-34-21-39718
AB - High-speed operation for upstream passive optical network (PON) applications enabled by bias-controlled operation of silicon photonics integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) is demonstrated in a continuous-mode back-to-back configuration. The InP-based C-band SOAs are heterogeneously integrated onto a 400 nm thick silicon waveguide using micro-transfer printing technology. Optimized apodized grating couplers are designed and incorporated to minimize fiber-to-chip coupling loss (2.5 dB). The integrated SOAs exhibit small-signal on-chip gains of 15–17 dB at a bias current of 120 mA. When the integrated SOA is employed as a receiver-side preamplifier in a 100 Gb/s four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4) upstream PON application, bias optimization across received power levels extends the SOA operating input power range to 22 dB while mitigating pattern-dependent distortion arising from SOA gain saturation. A minimum SOA input power of −23 dBm is achieved at the hard-decision forward error-correction threshold, referenced to the on-chip SOA input and excluding input grating-coupler loss. These results demonstrate the potential of heterogeneously integrated, bias-controlled SOAs as compact preamplifiers for extending the operating input power range of next-generation high-speed upstream PON receivers.
SN - 1094-4087
ER -