InP-based 1.55 µm high-speed photodetectors for 80 Gbit/s systems and beyond

The paper reviews the key characteristics of recent developments in the field of ultra fast photodetectors for 1.55 /spl mu/m wavelength. In detail, we report on a fully packaged highly efficient photodetector with 100 GHz bandwidth, suitable for 160 Gbit/s return-to-zero (RZ) detection. Furthermore, a monolithically integrated balanced photodetector is described, to be applied for direct detection of 80 Gbit/s differential phase shift keyed (DPSK) transmission formats. Achievements in the development of travelling wave photodetectors are summarized.