Generation of UWB pulses utilizing directly modulated tunable MEMS-VCSEL

We propose a solution for reconfigurable wired-wireless converged networks with high data rates, based on directly modulated tunable vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL). Wired-wireless converged networks require simple and low-cost solutions for the generation of the UWB signal in the optical domain. Direct modulation of VCSEL in combination with optical filtering enable a low-cost generation of ultra-wideband (UWB) pulses. VCSEL typically show large direct modulation bandwidths 10 GBit/s due to their short cavity related short photon lifetime. Another advantage of the short cavity is its inherent large free spectral range (FSR) which enables ultra wide continuous wavelength tuning.