Receiver design

Abstract

Summary form only given, as follows. Optical receivers are critical components in multigigabit-per-second lightwave systems because of the simultaneous and sometimes conflicting requirements of high speed and low noise. An overview of receiver design principles is presented. Special emphasis is placed on high-speed receivers for both direct detection and coherent optical communication systems. Future directions for receivers, including optical preamplification and optoelectronic integration, are discussed.