Fast Tuning Electronically Switched 16 x 1 Channel Receiver For Packet-Switched WDM Systems

This paper revisits an optical receiver topology, for a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical network at 2.5 Gbps bit rate, based on non-tunable wavelength demultiplexing and electronic switching.We demonstrate novel, monolithically integrated, four-channel optical receiver module composed of MESFET transimpedance amplifiers and switches that can be independently switched “on” or “off” electronically by a digital signal. The selector chips have also been reconfigured as a 16 channel selector array. Frequency and noise performance as well as switching speed and crosstalk between neighboring channels have been investigated.