Distributed crossbar interconnects with vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser-angle multiplexing and fiber image guides

We report on the implementation of an optical crossbar interconnect consisting of a centralized free-space beam-steering subsystem, a distributed array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers and photoreceivers, a fiber image guide, and a large-core polymer fiber array. The interconnect can in principle handle more than 350 cross-bar channels, but our implementation demonstrated only 240 channels. Transmissions of 500-Mbit/s per channel were demonstrated. Approximately 12.7-dB end-to-end optical channel attenuation was measured. Details of component design, packaging, system integration, and testing are presented and discussed. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.