Performance of Ge/Si Receivers at 1310 nm

Abstract

We are studying three types of these detectors for use at 1310 nm; normal incident illuminated p-i-n detectors (NI-PD), waveguide p-i-n detectors (WG-PD), and avalanche photodetectors (APDs). NI-PDs have achieved -14.5 dBm sensitivity at 10 Gb/s and 850 nm, which is comparable to similarly packaged GaAs devices. Unlike GaAs detectors, however, the Ge detectors can also operate at 1310nm, with a ~0.5dB sensitivity improvement expected. WG-PDs have achieved bandwidths of approximately 30 GHz at 1550 nm with internal quantum efficiencies of 90%, and similar, or better, performance is also expected at 1310 nm. Normal incident APDs operating at 1310 nm have achieved a gain-bandwidth product of 153 GHz which exceeds that of a commercial InP-based APDs, These devices also have a primary responsivity of 0.54 A/W with a 3-dB bandwidth of 9GHz at a gain of 17.