100 Gbit/s PAM-4 Linear Burst-Mode Transimpedance Amplifier for Upstream Flexible PON

The ever-increasing demand in upstream data-rates towards 50 Gbit/s and beyond in passive optical networks (PONs) requires for the first time, the use of a new class of burst-mode transimpedance amplifiers (BMTIAs), which require linearity to enable equalization and to allow for multi-level modulation formats such as 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4). In this paper we present operation of a novel linear BMTIA, which integrated together with a commercial off-the-shelf 25Gclass avalanche photodiode (APD), achieves 50 Gbit/s non-returnto- zero (NRZ) (with a sensitivity of -23.7 dBm and dynamic range exceeding 21.7 dB) or 100 Gbit/s PAM-4 operation (with a sensitivity of -15.8 dBm and dynamic range exceeding 15.4 dB), both at a bit-error-rate (BER) of 1E-2. In addition, fast burstmode gain-control and balancing circuits limit potential loud-soft sensitivity penalties to less than 1.2dB. The chip was designed in a 0.13um SiGe:C BiCMOS technology, has an area of 1.2x1.7 mm² and consumes between 260 mW and 310 mW. This receiver paves the way to a next-generation class of BMTIAs, supporting the ITU-T G9804 standard.