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

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