Customized drive electronics to extend silicon optical modulators to 4 gb/s

The data transmission bandwidth of a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor Si optical modulator is extended from 1 to 4 Gb/s through the introduction of custom-designed low-impedance drive circuitry. Two distinct drive circuits were produced and tested-the first targeting 2.5 Gb/s data rate and 3 dB extinction ratio (ER), and the second having reduced voltage swing (1.3 V single-ended swing) while achieving an open eye at 4 Gb/s. The speed, power, and ER data collected are used to build a quantitative discussion of the challenges in achieving a power-efficient free-carrier modulator at bit rates above 1 Gb/s.