A new ultra-high sensitivity, low-power optical receiver based on a decision-feedback equalizer

A decision-feedback equalizer is used to recover data at baud rates far above the bandwidth of a low-noise TIA front-end. The overall 90-nm CMOS DC-coupled clocked receiver has better than -25 dBm power sensitivity at 4 Gb/s, dissipating 1.2 pJ/bit. © OSA/OFC/NFOEC 2011.