Computer-aided design of hybrid and monolithic broad-band amplifiers for optoelectronic receivers

In very-high-data-rate fiber-optic systems, it is necessary to have an ultrawideband, high-gain, low-noise amplifier after the front end. The authors show how powerful analytical techniques, such as the real frequency technique, can be applied to the design of a 4-MHz-7-GHz amplifier. A two-stage monolithic amplifier designed according to the theory gives 17-dB gain; a three-stage hybrid amplifier exhibits 16-dB gain across the same frequency band. The gain, noise figure, and pulse response of each amplifier are presented. >