VCSEL-based sliceable bandwidth/bitrate variable transceivers

Abstract

The use of vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) at long wavelengths, especially if characterized by large bandwidth or tunable capability, is appearing as an attractive technology for the implementation of advanced transceivers to be used in optical metro networks at 100G and beyond. In this work, we report recent promising results on the adoption of different types of VCSEL for the sliceable bandwidth/bitrate variable transceiver (S-BVT) design. Special attention will be devoted to technological aspects and challenges, focusing on the added value of exploiting novel photonic technologies for the implementation of costeffective transceivers, suitable for future optical metro networks targeting high capacity and flexibility.