4 × 10 Gbit/s full-duplex optical link with compact optical sub-assemblies and thin GI 50/125 plastic optical fibre ribbon

A full-duplex data link at 10 Gbit/s per channel (two upstream and two downstream) between two compact bidirectional optical sub-assemblies is presented. Each sub-assembly is based on the authors' optoelectronic ferrule and carries both laser diodes and photodiodes while maintaining a compact form factor of less than 20 mm³. The authors use plastic optical fibres with 50 μm graded-index cores and thin 125 μm claddings bundled in a four-channel ribbon but split the ribbon in order to reach both laser diodes and photodiodes within the optoelectronic ferrule, hence directly butt-coupling each channel with its own optical fibre. This method keeps both assembly form factor and complexity at a minimum and performance high. Eventually error-free signal transmission at 10 Gbit/s per channel over 5 m with 0.67 unit intervals eye opening is confirmed.