Very high-capacity short-reach VCSEL systems exploiting multicarrier intensity modulation and direct detection

Multicarrier intensity modulation of a bandwidth-limited long-wavelength VCSEL is exploited combined to direct detection to achieve very high capacity simple systems for short-reach applications. Tailored FDM subcarriers modulation and allocation allow to match the non-uniform frequency response of the system induced by the direct modulation and detection of the FDM signal and by the uncompensated SSMF propagation, overcoming the VCSEL bandwidth limitations. A whole transported throughput ranging from 34 Gb/s to 25 Gb/s from few hundreds meters to 20 km of SSMF propagation is experimentally demonstrated even by employing a 5-GHz band VCSEL source.