Patent ID: 7015454

Claim:
An optical interconnect system, comprising: a first GRIN rod lens and a second GRIN rod lens; said first GRIN rod lens having a first end and a second end, and further having a preselected length, a preselected width and a preselected index of refraction; said second GRIN rod lens having a first end and a second end, and further having a preselected length, a preselected width and a preselected index of refraction; means fixedly secured to said first end of said first GRIN rod lens for emitting electromagnetic radiation, said emitting means comprising an array of emitters; means fixedly secured to said second end of said second GRIN rod lens for receiving said emitted electromagnetic radiation, said receiving means comprising an array of detectors, each detector from said array of detectors having substantially a preselected size; said first GRIN rod lens forming an image of said emitting means substantially at infinity; said second GRIN rod lens having its first end spaced apart and proximate said second end of said first GRIN rod lens; said first end of said second GRIN rod lens and said second end of said first GRIN rod lens defining a space therebetween, wherein said space being substantially void of any optical component; and said second GRIN rod lens forming an image of said emitting means onto said receiving means, said image formed onto said receiving means comprising an array of sub-images, each sub-image from said array of sub-images having substantially a preselected size; wherein said preselected size of each detector from said array of detectors being larger than said preselected size of each sub-image from the array of sub-images.