VCSEL laser characterization and modelling for future optical transceiver at the super large hadron collider

The versatile transceiver in study for the Super Large Hadron Collider (SLHC) will have to endure severe radiation and temperature conditions while providing a high speed digital communication link to cover the experiment requirements. For this, characterization and model analysis of the electro-optic components (in particular the semiconductor laser), is of utmost importance as it will enable the correct design and optimization of the transceiver. It will also enable the prediction of the impact on the link performance when the physical characteristics of the device are changed due to the environmental circumstances. A measurement methodology is presented that leads to the conception of a model implemented in Verilog-A, for designing a robust system capable of complying with the demanding requirements of the experiment. The theoretical model shows a good agreement with the experimental data. This model was created based on a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL), but can be applied to a variety of lasers.