Optical interconnection arrangements

Abstract

An optical interconnection arrangement comprises a plurality of substantially parallel optical interconnection channels. In each channel, there are an optical source, an optical receiver, a first lens and a second lens. The first lens conveys light from the source to the second lens, and the second lens refocusses the light at the receiver. Each source and the associated first lens are offset one relative to the other by a predetermined distance in a direction transverse to an optical axis of the first lens. The corresponding receiver and the associated second lens are offset one relative to the other by the same distance but in the opposite direction to the offset between the source and first lens. Each offset is equal and opposite to the corresponding offset in an adjacent channel. With such an arrangement, if a leakage portion of a light beam from a first lens in one channel impinges upon the second lens in an adjacent channel, the leakage portion will be refocussed at a position which is spaced from the receiver of such adjacent channel. In one embodiment, in each channel, the first lens and the second lens share a common optical axis and the source and receiver are offset relative to such common optical axis. In an alternative embodiment, the source and the receiver share a common optical axis and the first lens and the second lens are offset relative to such common optical axis. Such optical interconnection arrangements are tolerant of translational or rotational misalignments between the sources and associated first lenses on the one hand and the receivers and associated second lenses on the other hand, which is of particular advantage for free space optical interconnects or couplers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.