Broadband interface MMICs between microwave and optoelectronics

Optical links represent a very attractive solution for Radar, Electronic Wa rfare and Telecommunications applications A problem lies in the difficulty to interface the 50 Ohm Microwave world with the high impedance of a photod iode or the low impedance of a laser diode, over a very broad frequency ban d. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of MMICs able to improve the glo bal performances of an optical Link, over a typical 1 to 20 GHz frequency r ange. A distributed laser driver and a photodiode Bootstrap follower provid e an active matching between 50 Ohm and optoelectonic transducers.