Tolerance of optical interconnections to misalignment

The fundamental reasons that determine the tolerance of free-space optical interconnect systems to misalignment are considered. By evaluation of the overlap of single-mode optical beams in the presence of misalignment it possible to determine an optimum beam configuration. It is shown that for any level of misalignment there is an optimum beam diameter that maximizes the coupling of light through the system. Many interconnect systems are not single mode throughout, so the analysis is extended to cover multimode systems. It is shown that, in principle, any level of misalignment can be accommodated by use of multimode beams, although at the cost of reduced channel density. It is shown that the presence of misalignment will mean that the number of channels that can be supported by an interconnect reduces with the length of the interconnect. As possible candidates for passively aligned systems, three example optical systems are analyzed by use of the methods developed.     

Guided-wave and free-space optical interconnects for parallel-processing systems: a comparison

Guided-wave and free-space optical interconnects are compared based on insertion loss, link efficiency, connection density, time delay, and power dissipation for three types of connection networks. Three types of free-space interconnect systems are analyzed that are representative of a wide variety of free-space systems: space-variant basis-set and space-invarient systems. Results indicate that the connection density of a space-variant free space system has a connection density roughly equivalent to a two level guided-wave system with a pitch of ~10 μm (for a 1-μm wavelength) and a core refractive index of 2.0. It is also shown that the connection density of basis-set and space-invariant free-space systems can be several orders of magnitude higher than fundamental limits on the connection density of dual-level guided-wave interconnect systems when large-scale highly connected networks are employed.     

Design of microchannel free-space optical interconnects based on vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser arrays

We investigate the design of free-space optical interconnects (FSOIs) based on arrays of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), microlenses, and photodetectors. We explain the effect of the modal structure of a multimode VCSEL beam on the performance of a FSOI with microchannel architecture. A Gaussian-beam diffraction model is used in combination with the experimentally obtained spectrally resolved VCSEL beam profiles to determine the optical channel crosstalk and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the system. The dependence of the SNR on the feature parameters of a FSOI is investigated. We found that the presence of higher-order modes reduces the SNR and the maximum feasible interconnect distance. We also found that the positioning of a VCSEL array relative to the transmitter microlens has a significant impact on the SNR and the maximum feasible interconnect distance. Our analysis shows that the departure from the traditional confocal system yields several advantages including the extended interconnect distance and/or improved SNR. The results show that FSOIs based on multimode VCSELs can be efficiently utilized in both chip-level and board-level interconnects.     

Analysis of a microchannel interconnect based on the clustering of smart-pixel-device windows

A design analysis of a telecentric microchannel relay system developed for use with a smart-pixel-based photonic backplane is presented. The interconnect uses a clustered-window geometry in which optoelectronic device windows are grouped together about the axis of each microchannel. A Gaussian-beam propagation model is used to analyze the trade-off between window size, window density, transistor count per smart pixel, and lenslet ?-number for three cases of window clustering. The results of this analysis show that, with this approach, a window density of 4000 windows/cm(2) is obtained for a window size of 30 μm and a device plane separation of 25 mm. In addition, an optical power model is developed to determine the nominal power requirements of a 32 × 32 smart-pixel array as a function of window size. The power requirements are obtained assuming a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor inverter-amplifier and dual-rail multiple-quantum-well self-electro-optic-effect devices as the receiver stage of the smart pixel.     

High-speed free-space interconnect based on optical ring topology: experimental demonstration

The design and implementation of a high-speed optical-ring-topology-based free-space optical interconnect is described. This interconnect system operates at 500 MHz and consists of 16 laser transmitters, a four-channel free-space interconnect, and a high-speed receiver. A nearest-neighbor interconnect is demonstrated. At the data rate of 500 MHz the total system throughput is 8 Gbits/s. The system can easily be operated at much higher data rates since the rate is limited only by the electronic circuitry. A discussion is given about device issues such as optical switching devices, and practical system-design issues such as integration and interface with current electronic systems are considered. This interconnect is promising to the implementation of ultrafast massively parallel single-instruction multiple-data machines.     

Determination of the optimum cluster parameters in a clustered free-space optical interconnect

A model for a clustered free-space optical interconnect is developed and is used to determine the maximum array density that can be achieved, together with the optimal cluster parameters that maximize this density. This model includes misalignment tolerance and the impact of multimode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser beams. We find that for short interconnect distances, the maximum channel density is limited by the speed of the relay lenses, but as the interconnect distance increases, geometric aberrations become the limiting factor. We also determine the interconnect distance below which a micro-channel relay is more suitable and the distance above which a single-lens solution is adequate.     

Cross-talk analysis in a telecentric adaptive free-space optical relay based on a spatial light modulator

We present an analysis of the performance limit of an adaptive multichannel free-space optical interconnect based on a spatial light modulator (SLM). The SLM function is to provide an active alignment of the signal beam in the detector plane. A thorough cross-talk analysis based on the diffractive properties of an ideal SLM in an isoplanatic optical system is shown. We analyze the performance in terms of the bit-error rate (BER) due to cross talk between different channels in the optical interconnect for different alignment states and for different phase-modulation schemes.     

512-channel vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser based free-space optical link

A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser based bidirectional free-space optical interconnect has been implemented to interconnect two printed circuit boards. A total of 512 clustered channels with a density of 2844 channels/cm2 are transmitted over a distance of 83 mm. The optical interconnect is a combination of refractive microlenses and diffractive minilens relays.     

Aberration correction in an adaptive free-space optical interconnect with an error diffusion algorithm

Aberration correction within a free-space optical interconnect based on a spatial light modulator for beam steering and holographic wavefront correction is presented. The wavefront sensing technique is based on an extension of a modal wavefront sensor described by Neil et al. [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 17, 1098 (2000)], which uses a diffractive element. In this analysis such a wavefront sensor is adapted with an error diffusion algorithm that yields a low reconstruction error and fast reconfigurability. Improvement of the beam propagation quality (Strehl ratio) for different channels across the input plane is achieved. However, due to the space invariancy of the system, a trade-off among the beam propagation quality for channels is obtained. Experimental results are presented and discussed.     

Analysis of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser-based bidirectional free-space optical interconnect

The design of a bidirectional free-space optical interconnect system is presented. Vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays as a coherent light source and VCSEL beam collimation are described. Hologram array design and a way to improve the diffraction efficiency by use of a copying technique utilizing Dupont photopolymers are presented. Scattering from the hologram as a noise source is measured. An optical model for the design of system parameters such as the VCSEL beam diameter, size and apodization of the hologram, and size of the detector is given on the basis of cross-talk analysis of the system. The effect of VCSEL wavelength variation on system design is considered. Aberrations caused by the Fourier lens in the system are calculated, and ways for correction of the aberrations are discussed.     

Connection cube modules for optical backplanes and fiber networks

A modular free-space optical system, called the connection cube, for connecting arrays of electro-optic transceivers and fiber-array connectors is presented. The connection cube module provides bidirectional data transfer between four processing nodes on a cube face and can be used as a basic building block for optical backplanes and interconnect networks. An experimental system for connecting four processing nodes is presented and used to examine alignment and packaging issues. An analysis of the dimensional requirements and scaling capability for systems based on this module is conducted. This analysis shows that, when the connection cube module is adapted to vertical-cavity surface-emitting-laser-based point-to-point fiber-array links currently under development, it can connect up to 14 processing nodes with an aggregate data transfer capacity of 112 Gbits/s with 19.6-W power consumption.     

Analysis of optical channel cross talk for free-space optical interconnects in the presence of higher-order transverse modes

We analyze the effect of cross-talk noise on the performance of free-space optical interconnects (FSOIs). In addition to diffraction-caused cross talk, we consider the effect of stray-light cross-talk noise, an issue that, to the best of our knowledge, was not addressed previously. Simulations were performed on a microlens-based FSOI system using the modal composition and beam profiles experimentally extracted from a commercial vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. We demonstrate that this cross-talk noise introduces significant degradation to interconnect performance, particularly for multitransverse-mode laser sources. A simple behavioral model is also developed that accurately approximates the cross talk noise for a range of optical sources and interconnect configurations.     

Combination of free-space and guided-wave optical interconnects for angularly multiplexed multiwavelength holographic memory

We propose and test experimentally a new scheme to implement spatially multiplexed multiwavelength holographic memory. An electro-optically modulated phase grating array on LiNbO(3) substrate is used as a guided-wave interconnect to activate the reconfigurable reference beam. The object beam is provided by free-space interconnect. An electro-optic modulation efficiency of 18 +/- 2.5% is achieved with an applied voltage of 100 V. The reference beams with different diffraction angles can implement the angle-multiplexing holographic recording. We believe this is the first report of the implementation of guided-wave electro-optic interconnect together with free-space interconnect in holographic memory applications.     

Feasibility study of a scalable optical interconnection network for massively parallel processing systems

The theoretical modeling of a novel topology for scalable optical interconnection networks, called optical multimesh hypercube (OMMH), is developed to predict size, bit rate, bit-error rate, power budget, noise, efficiency, interconnect distance, pixel density, and misalignment sensitivity. The numerical predictions are validated with experimental data from commercially available products to assess the effects of various thermal, system, and geometric parameters on the behavior of the sample model. OMMH is a scalable network architecture that combines positive features of the hypercube (small diameter, regular, symmetric, and fault tolerant) and the mesh (constant node degree and size scalability). The OMMH is implemented by a free-space imaging system incorporated with a space-invariant hologram for the hypercube links and fiber optics to provide the mesh connectivity. The results of this work show that the free-space links can operate at 368 Mbits/s and the fiber-based links at 228 Mbits/s for a bit-error rate of 10(-17) per channel. The predicted system size for 32 nodes in the OMMH is 4.16 mm × 4.16 mm × 3.38 cm. Using 16-bit, bit-parallel transmission per node, the system can operate at a bit rate of up to 5.88 Gbits/s for a size of 1.04 cm × 1.04 cm × 3.38 cm.     

Free-space parallel multichip interconnection system

A parallel data-communication scheme is described for interchip communication with free-space optics. We present a proof-of-concept and feasibility demonstration of a practical modular packaging approach in which free-space optical interconnect modules can be simply integrated on top of an electronic multichip module (MCM). Our packaging architecture is based on a modified folded 4-f imaging system that is implemented with off-the-shelf optics, conventional electronic packaging techniques, and passive assembly techniques to yield a potentially low-cost packaging solution. The prototype system, as built, supports 48 independent free-space channels with eight separate laser and detector chips, in which each chip consists of a one-dimensional array of 12 devices. All chips are assembled on a single ceramic carrier together with three silicon complementary metal-oxide semiconductor chips. Parallel optoelectronic (OE) free-space interconnections are demonstrated at a speed of 200 MHz. The system is compact at only 10 in.(3) (~164 cm(3)) and is scalable because it can easily accommodate additional chips as well as two-dimensional OE device arrays for increased interconnection density.     

Design of an optical interconnect for photonic backplane applications

A compact alignment-tolerant interconnect has been developed for use within a prototype modulator-based free-space photonic backplane. The interconnect design encompasses several unique features. Microlens arrays are used, and several beams share each microlens by clustering the optical input-output in a small field about the optical axis of each lens. For simplifying the layout, the optical input and output of each smart-pixel array are clustered separately, thereby allowing a Fourier plane patterned-mirror array to be used in the beam-combination optics. This allows a suitable balance between high interconnection densities and reasonable optical relay distances between adjacent boards to be achieved. The primary advantages of this scheme are the simplicity of the optical design and its alignability, making it ideally suited for high-density interconnection applications.     

Polymer fiber image guide optical circuits that incorporate free-space add-drop components

We further extend the capability of a polymer-fiber-image-guide-(PFIG-) based optical circuit from a pure point-to-point interconnect scheme to a general-purpose optical network with data-branching capabilities. Two-dimensional array data can be inserted and taken away at free-space add-drop nodes, which are implemented with free-space minioptical components. A four-node hybrid circuit with PFIG's to transmit bit-parallel data and free-space components to perform add-drop is experimentally demonstrated.     

Adaptive divergence and power for improving connectivity in free-space optical mobile networks

A significant challenge for free-space optical (FSO) links is the restrictive alignment requirements, especially when the transceivers are moving. For moderate distances and rapid unpredictable motion, the receiver's field of view and the positioning system's dynamics become factors. We explore the use of adaptive transmitter power and beam divergence to improve the likelihood of maintaining a mobile FSO link by using Gaussian beam propagation theory and link budgets. We calculate the allowable misalignment between the transceivers' optical axes as a function of power, divergence, and transceiver distance. The maximum allowable error is independent of the distance, except when the field of view is a limiting factor. Certain combinations of divergence and power, while suboptimal for one distance, provide a relaxed misalignment limit for many distances. Based on the calculations, we make initial suggestions for system design.     

Plastic modules for free-space optical interconnects

A combined optoelectronic and optomechanical packaging technique for the construction of snap-together free-space optical interconnect systems is described. The modules integrate relaying and routing functions by use of transparent optical molded plastic, which can achieve sufficient alignment precision that further adjustment is not required during system assembly. Methods to integrate the optoelectronic chips, such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser and receiver arrays with these plastic optical modules are described. Other chips can also be integrated to form optoelectronic multichip modules. These modules can also be designed to accommodate coupling to or from optical fiber arrays. A test-bed system to demonstrate the concept was assembled to a lower precision by use of conventional machining techniques.     

Design, implementation, and characterization of a folded spot-array generator for a modulator-based free-space optical interconnect

A folded structured light generator is presented. This spot generator is to be used in a modulator-based free-space optical interconnect. Three cascaded diffractive optical elements produce 4 x 8 clusters on an 800 microm x 1600 microm pitch, in which each cluster is a 4 x 4 array of 13.1-microm-radius spots on a 90-microm pitch. The folded configuration is more compact than an existing linear spot-array generator and replaces 14 optical surfaces with eight surfaces. Details of the optical design, sensitivity analysis, alignment techniques, assembly, and test results are presented.