Silicon Photonics Transmitter with SOA and Semiconductor Mode-Locked Laser

We experimentally investigate an optical linkrelying on silicon photonicstransmitter and receiver components as well as a single section semiconductor mode-lockedlaser as a light source and a semiconductor optical amplifierfor signal amplification. A transmitter based on a silicon photonicsresonant ring modulator, an external single section mode-lockedlaser and an external semiconductor optical amplifieroperated together with a standard receiver reliably supports 14 Gbps on- off keyingsignaling with a signal quality factor better than 7 for 8 consecutive comb lines, as well as 25 Gbps signaling with a signal quality factor better than 7 for one isolated comb line, both without forward error correction. Resonant ring modulatorsand Germanium waveguide photodetectors are further hybridly integrated with chip scale driver and receiver electronics, and their co-operability tested. These experiments will serve as the basis for assessing the feasibility of a silicon photonicswavelength division multiplexed link relying on a single section mode-lockedlaser as a multi-carrier light source.