Abstract

Infrared data interconnects using freespace optics will simplify the deployment and physical design of Gigabit hubs and Terabit switch/routers. Infrared links range from the 4 Mb/s diffuse LED links found today in many laptop computers, to potentially 40×2.5Gb/s using parallel collimated VCSEL Early deployment of multiple 1.25 Gb/s infrared links expected. Complete free-space optical backplanes of multi-Tb/s capacity face extensive challenges, and s capacity face extensive challenges, and may remain non-competitive with electrical backplanes, which already offer several Tb/s throughput. Supporting our roadmap, we have built discrete Gigabit Ethernet 1.25 Gb/s links using gently-diffusing VCSEL beams. We have developed 4×1.25 Gb/s transceivers using redundant VCSEL and detector arrays that provide real-time auto-alignment. With these two advances, we avoid the complex mechanics and moving parts that have to date prevented the deployment of parallel Gigabit infrared interconnects.

© 1999 Optical Society of America