Micro-LED for short distance optical links with low power consumption

Optical interconnects have been recognized as a transformative approach for data centers. This paper presents an investigation of Micro-LED-based signal emitters for high-speed optical interconnection systems. By utilizing optimized quantum well and current injection structures, high-speed Micro-LEDs were fabricated, and their carrier injection efficiency, modulation bandwidth, and signal quality were thoroughly characterized. A high bandwidth exceeding 1 GHz was achieved in a single Micro-LED at an injection current of 2 mA, and the maximum exceeds 1.6 GHz. Notably, a single Micro-LED supported high signal transmission rates up to 3.07 Gbps using the NRZ modulation format. Additionally, the power consumption was measured to be only 7.34 pJ/bit for 2.125 Gbps signal transmission, with a bit error rate (BER) of 2.4E-3. These results reveal the promising potential of compact Micro-LEDs for integrated optical links, with significant room remaining for improvement, particularly in power consumption reduction.