SPACELINK
OBJECTIVES
OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS
100G VCSEL-OTRx
SPACELINK performs design, manufacturing and testing of a European VCSEL-based optical transceiver (VCSEL-OTRx) module for spaceborne high-data-rate intra-satellite optical interconnects.
SPACELINK 850 nm full-duplex VCSEL-OTRx achieves an aggregate data rate exceeding 100 Gb/s across eight lanes (4 transmit + 4 receive lanes operating at >25 Gb/s per lane), with an energy efficiency below 5 pJ/bit.
The VCSEL-OTRx architecture combines high-bandwidth SiGe BiCMOS electronics with 3D polymer micro-optics and mature optoelectronic assembly & packaging processes, enabling compact, efficient and robust optical interconnect solutions for space applications.
Rad-hard SiGe BiCMOS
SPACELINK develops 4-channel high-speed VCSEL driver & Photodiode-receiver chipset in IHP 130 nm SiGe-BiCMOS process. We target >25 Gb/s data rate per lane at 5 pJ/bit.
3D Polymer tapers
SPACELINK develops 3D polymer micro-optics for efficient optical coupling of VCSEL/PDs to fiber arrays. Polymer tapers are integrated directly on-top of the O/E parts through wafer-level photolithography.
Hi-rel O/E assembly
SPACELINK deploys mature and proven chip assembly methods for the opto-electronic packaging of its VCSEL optical transceiver.
COHERENT LASERCOM LINKS
200G DP-QPSK ePIC-OTRx
SPACELINKĀ performs design, manufacturing and testing of single- and dual-polarization 1.55 Ī¼m optical transceivers (OTRx) for coherent free-space optical satellite links.
SPACELINK coherent modulators and receivers operate at 50 Gbaud, enabling a single-channel data rate of up to 200 Gb/s using the DP-QPSK modulation format.
SPACELINK electronic-photonic integrated circuits (ePICs) are fabricated using IHP photonic-BiCMOS, a European technology which allows monolithic integration of passive silicon photonics, active GeSi optoelectronic devices, and high-bandwidth analog driver & receiver electronics on a single chip.
Silicon Photonics
SPACELINK develops high bandwidth GeSi Electro-absorption Modulators (EAM) and Photodetectors for its IQ modulators and coherent receivers.
GeSi EAM & PD
SPACELINK develops high bandwidth GeSi Electro-absorption Modulators (EAM) and Photodetectors for its IQ modulators and coherent receivers.
SiGe BiCMOS
SPACELINK develops SiGe BiCMOS EAM drivers and TIAs and integrates them monolithically with the SiPh and O/E elements.