A 50 Gb/s NRZ modulated 850 nm VCSEL transmitter operating error free to 90 °c

We report on the properties of an 850 nm vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) transmitter running at 50 Gb/s with NRZ modulation from 30 °C to 90 °C. This is the highest transmitter operating temperature at 50 Gb/s for a VCSEL link of any wavelength. This achievement is made possible by a combination of a high speed VCSEL design and driver and receiver circuits that incorporate equalization. Without equalization, the highest temperature attained with bit error ratio <1E-12 is 57 °C.