Tuned Optical Front-End MMIC Amplifiers for a Coherent Optical Receiver

Two low noise tuned optical front-end GaAs MESFET MMIC amplifiers for a coherent optical CPFSK (Continuous Phase Frequency Shift Keying) receiver are presented. The receiver operates at 2.5 Gbit/s at an IF of approx. 9 GHz. The front-ends are based on full-custom designed MMICs and a commercially available GaInAs/InP pin photo diode. The procedure for measuring the transimpedance and the equivalent input noise current density is outlined in this paper and demonstrated using one of the MMICs. The MMICs were fabricated using the Plessey F20 process by GEC-Marconi through the ESPRIT programme EUROCHIP, and they both occupy 2 mm2.