Master Thesis: Low-Power Optical Links for Radio Systems

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About this opportunity:

As data rates and operating temperatures increase in radio equipment, the power consumption of traditional SFP transceivers is becoming a growing challenge. Conventional modules often use retimers such as DSPs or CDRs to compensate for signal impairments, but these components add power consumption and can limit flexibility across data rates.

Low Power Optics (LPO) reduces power consumption by removing the retimer, but this places greater demands on the electrical channel between the optical components and the radio ASIC. Channel loss, reflections, crosstalk, connector quality, PCB trace length, and jitter can significantly affect signal integrity and link performance.

This thesis will investigate the feasibility and limitations of retimer-less optical interconnects for future radio applications. It will also evaluate Near Package Optics (NPO), where the optical engine is placed closer to the ASIC, as a potential way to reduce electrical channel challenges.

What you will do:

Investigate how removing the retimer affects Bit Error Rate (BER) and overall link performance.

Analyze jitter accumulation, channel loss budgets, reflections, crosstalk, and other signal integrity factors.

Study the relationship between electrical channel quality and optical link performance.

Compare LPO and NPO architectures and evaluate their key design trade-offs.

Compare the results with relevant standards, including OIF CEI-VSR 56G and 112G.

Use vector network analyzers, oscilloscopes, and MATLAB simulations to evaluate link performance.

Develop design guidelines for future low-power optical interconnects in radio systems.

The skills you bring:

You are pursuing a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.

You have a good understanding of signal integrity, transmission lines, and electrical channels.

Knowledge of optical communication is an advantage.

Experience with MATLAB, simulations, oscilloscopes, or vector network analyzers is beneficial.

You have strong analytical and communication skills, theoretical curiosity, and the ability to work independently.

Why join Ericsson?At Ericsson, you´ll have an outstanding opportunity. The chance to use your skills and imagination to push the boundaries of what´s possible. To build solutions never seen before to some of the world’s toughest problems. You´ll be challenged, but you won’t be alone. You´ll be joining a team of diverse innovators, all driven to go beyond the status quo to craft what comes next.

What happens once you apply?Click Here to find all you need to know about what our typical hiring process looks like.Encouraging a diverse and inclusive organization is core to our values at Ericsson, that's why we champion it in everything we do. We truly believe that by collaborating with people with different experiences we drive innovation, which is essential for our future growth. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply and realize their full potential as part of our Ericsson team. Ericsson is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. learn more.

Primary country and city: Sweden (SE) || Stockholm

Req ID: 791346