Abstract

The FAST-Net ( F ree-space A ccelerator for S witching T erabit Net works) concept uses an array of wide-field-of-view imaging lenses to realize a high-density shuffle interconnect pattern across an array of smart-pixel integrated circuits. To simplify the optics we evaluated the efficiency gained in replacing spherical surfaces with aspherical surfaces by exploiting the large disparity between narrow vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) beams and the wide field of view of the imaging optics. We then analyzed trade-offs between lens complexity and chip real estate utilization and determined that there exists an optimal numerical aperture for VCSELs that maximizes their area density. The results provide a general framework for the design of wide-field-of-view free-space interconnection systems that incorporate high-density VCSEL arrays.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

Multichip free-space global optical interconnection demonstration with integrated arrays of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers and photodetectors

Michael W. Haney, Marc P. Christensen, Predrag Milojkovic, Jeremy Ekman, Premanand Chandramani, Richard Rozier, Fouad Kiamilev, Yue Liu, and Mary Hibbs-Brenner
Appl. Opt. 38(29) 6190-6200 (1999)

Analysis of a hybrid micro/macro-optical method for distortion removal in free-space optical interconnections

Marc P. Christensen, Predrag Milojkovic, and Michael W. Haney
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 19(12) 2473-2478 (2002)

Determination of the optimum cluster parameters in a clustered free-space optical interconnect

Marc Châteauneuf and Andrew G. Kirk
Appl. Opt. 42(29) 5906-5917 (2003)

Free-space parallel multichip interconnection system

Xuezhe Zheng, Philippe J. Marchand, Dawei Huang, and Sadik C. Esener
Appl. Opt. 39(20) 3516-3524 (2000)

Design of microchannel free-space optical interconnects based on vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser arrays

Rong Wang, Aleksandar D. Rakić, and Marian L. Majewski
Appl. Opt. 41(17) 3469-3478 (2002)