16X16 SELF-ROUTING CELL SWITCH USING POLARIZATION-CONTROLLED VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ARRAYS - PRINCIPLES

The principle and design of a self-routing 16 x 16 free-space opticall y interconnected crossbar cell switch are detailed. Vertical cavity su rface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and VCSEL-based smalt pixel arrays are key devices for this system and enable high density interconnection. U sing the optical switching of VCSEL polarization extensively, the cell switch exhibits a potential high bit rate and low reconfiguration tim e between two cells. Moreover, because of the high speed switching of the VCSEL between its two linear polarizations, address substitution, which is one of the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) requirements, can be implemented. A compact cell-switch demonstrator is proposed that u ses low-cost optically recorded holograms and microlens arrays. (C) 19 97 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.