Abstract

The expansion of cellular networks over the past decades has gone through an astonishing evolution. Due to centralized network functions, splitting of the generation/processing of RF signal in base band units (BBUs) and the baseband-RF conversion in remote radio heads (RRHs) has become inevitable. To systematically overcome the bandwidth and latency issues, a cost-efficient WDM-PON capable of linking a BBU to a multitude of distributed RRHs is of high demand. Such a system is standardized in the G.metro project (ITU-T SG15), where the distributed 10 Gbps transceivers will automatically adjust their wavelengths which is centrally controlled [1]. The biggest challenge up to now was the lack of low-cost wideband tuneable lasers for high-speed transmission. In this work, we have developed a short-cavity, widely-tuneable, electrically-pumped MEMS-VCSEL for high-speed applications. The device operates at 10 Gbps for a continuous tuning range of 85 nm which, to the best of our knowledge, is the record tuning for any 10-Gbps directly modulated laser.

© 2017 IEEE