Abstract

We present a detailed statistical study on achievable reach of 100 Gbps data center optical links based on vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) and multimode fibers (MMF). Based on the characterization of the spectral and spatial properties of eight lasers and of the modal and dispersion behavior of a large set of 20233 OM3 and OM4 modeled fibers (obtained by properly extending an initial set of 500 measured fibers), we compute the resulting frequency responses of all of the VCSEL-MMF combinations. Then, we feed them to a numerical tool modeling PAM-4 transmission at 100 Gbps net bit rate per wavelength. Our model analyzes performance at distances up to 400 meters, using three different adaptive equalizers at the receiver and considering two forward error correction overheads. We show that 100 Gbps operation is feasible for 99% of the simulated links reaching up to 120 m over OM4 at 850 nm and using a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). Aggregated data rates of 200 Gbps and 400 Gbps per fiber using Shortwave Wavelength Division Multiplexing (SWDM) are achievable for 99% of the links reaching 80 m over OM4 using two wavelengths and feed-forward equalizer (FFE) and four wavelengths and maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE)-based equalizer, respectively.

Four 45 Gbps PAM4 VCSEL based transmission through 300 m wideband OM4 fiber over SWDM4 wavelength grid

Reza Motaghiannezam, Ilya Lyubomirsky, Henry Daghighian, Chris Kocot, Timo Gray, Jim Tatum, Adrian Amezcua-Correa, M. Bigot-Astruc, D. Molin, F. Achten, and P. Sillard
Opt. Express 24(15) 17193-17199 (2016)

Single-mode VCSEL for pre-emphasis PAM-4 transmission up to 64  Gbit/s over 100–300  m in OM4 MMF

Hsuan-Yun Kao, Cheng-Ting Tsai, Shan-Fong Leong, Chun-Yen Peng, Yu-Chieh Chi, Huai-Yung Wang, Hao-Chung Kuo, Chao-Hsin Wu, Wood-Hi Cheng, and Gong-Ru Lin
Photon. Res. 6(7) 666-673 (2018)

Coupling angle tolerance of the 850-nm single-mode VCSEL output collimated by lensed OM4-MMF or GI-SMF for a NRZ-OOK link

Shao-Yung Lee, Chih-Hsien Cheng, Kun-You Huang, Xin Chen, Kangmei Li, Chia-Hsuan Wang, Ming-Jun Li, Chao-Hsin Wu, and Gong-Ru Lin
Opt. Express 30(10) 17130-17139 (2022)

30 Gbps 4-PAM transmission over 200 m of MMF using an 850 nm VCSEL

Krzysztof Szczerba, Petter Westbergh, Johnny Karout, Johan Gustavsson, Åsa Haglund, Magnus Karlsson, Peter Andrekson, Erik Agrell, and Anders Larsson
Opt. Express 19(26) B203-B208 (2011)

Low-cost and low-loss conversion of OM3 to OM4 MMFs using strong mode mixing

Huiyuan Liu, He Wen, Bin Huang, Zhihong Li, and Guifang Li
Opt. Express 27(4) 5581-5587 (2019)