Low-distortion hybrid optical shuffle concept

A hybrid micro-macro-optical shuffle interconnection approach is described. The new concept minimizes distortion in multichip smart-pixel shuffle inte rconnection systems that use macro-optics to link dense arrays of vertical- cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) sources and matching arrays of detect ors. The typical narrow-beam cones of VCSEL's are exploited by use of beam- deflecting micro-optics to create an optical system that is symmetric about its aperture. Since symmetric systems are well known to cancel distortion, this novel concept provides the means to achieve the required high degree of interchip registration accuracy. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.