Highly integrated laser-modulator module for high-speed high dynamic range analog transmission

In this work, we demonstrate the integration of linear electroabsorption (EA) lumped-element modulator, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), and a distributed feedback laser, resulting in high analog performance from a compact and highly integrated packaged module. The EA modulator is monolithically integrated on the same chip with an SOA resulting in cost-effective and high fiber-coupled optical power >10 dBm. The resulting module exhibits robust performance over bias, frequency, and temperature and is telco-qualifiable. Some operating characteristics of the module are spur-free dynamic range (SFDR) of 108 dB·Hz²3/, 15-GHz bandwidth, relative intensity noise (RIN) of -159 dB/Hz, as well as constant and high SFDR over >1-V bias range and 30°C variation in chip temperature.