Optical design of a 1024-channel free-space sorting demonstrator

We describe the optical design of a free-space interconnect system to be used for a 32 × 32 sorting system. The system uses 4f imaging relays to connect two hybrid optoelectronic-complementary metal-oxide semiconductor chips. These relays are used to implement a perfect-shuffle interconnect necessary for the sorting algorithm to be implemented. The relay lenses are also used with patterned mirrors and polarizing elements to combine read beams necessary for the optoelectronic chips. Issues relating to the basic system design and the detailed design of the lenses and optomechanics are given. © 1997 Optical Society of America.