sCale up of Avalanche Photodiodes for future TerAbIt optical Networks (CAPTAIN)

Every year, the amount of data transferred across optical fibre networks to people's homes increases, with millions of 10Gb/s Passive Optical Network (10G-PON) units sold every year to support this. However, there is a need to roll out 50G-PON to enable smart factory and digital driven manufacturing, next-generation city traffic management, and 10G smart campuses with high throughput.

Current optical network terminals (ONT) use outdated receiver modules consisting of an InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode (APD) and a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA). These APDs are unsuitable for 50Gb/s connectivity as they have low sensitivity, such that link budgets cannot be met at higher speeds. As the industry plans to ramp up the deployment of the 50G-PON from 2025, there is an urgent need to find a disruptive APD technology, to provide the necessary sensitivity at 50Gb/s.

This project will provide a disruptive and scalable platform that can address the demands of next generation broadband infrastructure. Detailed APD design will be carried out jointly by Phlux and The University of Sheffield (TUoS). Phlux Technology will manufacture a new class of APD which can provide the sensitivities required for future 50G-PON receivers. These will be fabricated by Sivers, one of the most advanced suppliers of III-V semiconductor photonic devices. They will provide expertise in developing the manufacturing process to produce cost-effective APDs. HiLight will integrate the APD with novel TIAs. Our receiver solutions for 50G-PON are only possible via close coupled collaboration and a complimentary component design methodology in the consortium.