Sheffield-Phlux Advance Research Collaboration (SPARC)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Abstract
Vision: SPARC will accelerate a recently discovered low avalanche noise semiconductor, AlGaAsSb, to become the preferred solution for a variety of important low photon sensing applications. We will demonstrate the transformative impact of AlGaAsSb avalanche photodiodes (APDs) on two key themes: (i) 25 Gb/s and beyond optical fibre-based communication systems and (ii) km-range free-space optical communication (FSOC) links. AlGaAsSb APDs' unique features; the lowest excess avalanche noise and the highest gain-bandwidth product for infrared APDs, will provide the underpinning solution to overcome data bottlenecks in many data communication systems.
Ambition: Our first grand challenge is to develop the best AlGaAsSb APDs with gain-bandwidth products (GBPs) > 400 GHz - significantly higher than the best offered by commercial Ge-on-Si APDs (273 GHz). Our AlGaAsSb APDs will exhibit lower dark current density and avalanche noise, offering low-noise performance at high-speed operation. They will enable 10 and 25 Gb/s data rates in Fibre-To-The-x (FTTx) systems, where x typically represents home, building and distribution point. We will then overcome the second grand challenge of high-speed communication through free space, i.e. Fibre-To-The-Space (FTTS). The APDs will be customised to achieve sensitivity limit as good as few-photon level to enable FTTS (including licence free communication channels) at data rate > 1 Gb/s.
Ambition: Our first grand challenge is to develop the best AlGaAsSb APDs with gain-bandwidth products (GBPs) > 400 GHz - significantly higher than the best offered by commercial Ge-on-Si APDs (273 GHz). Our AlGaAsSb APDs will exhibit lower dark current density and avalanche noise, offering low-noise performance at high-speed operation. They will enable 10 and 25 Gb/s data rates in Fibre-To-The-x (FTTx) systems, where x typically represents home, building and distribution point. We will then overcome the second grand challenge of high-speed communication through free space, i.e. Fibre-To-The-Space (FTTS). The APDs will be customised to achieve sensitivity limit as good as few-photon level to enable FTTS (including licence free communication channels) at data rate > 1 Gb/s.
