Patent ID: 7978981

Claim:
A two-dimensional free space optical link comprising: an array of tightly-coupled, multi-wavelength arrays of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), operating at predetermined wavelengths; collimating optics for collimating the optical signals emitted from each said multi-wavelength array of VCSELs into a single uniform optical signal; and an array of tightly-coupled optical receiver arrays, each respective receiver array being configured to receive the signals from a respective one of said VCSEL arrays, wherein the wavelengths of the received signals received by the respective optical receiver array generally match the wavelengths of the signals transmitted by the respective one of the VCSEL arrays such that multiple optical wavelengths can be simultaneously communicated at high-speed from one of the respective VCSEL arrays to one of the respective receiver arrays across a very short haul channel.