Abstract: Optical communication system communicates between an array of originating tiles and an array of terminating tiles. Each array is associated with a lenslet array, such as a two-layer array. Each originating tile has an array and each terminating tile has an array of transceivers. Each tile is associated with a common lenslet or lenslet pair. A beamlet from a representative originating transceiver passes through the lenslet pair adjacent to its tile via an originating Fourier transform element, collimating optics, and a terminating Fourier transform element. The beam then passes through the lenslet pair adjacent to the tile containing the terminating transceiver associated with the representative originating transceiver, and is focused onto that receiver by that lenslet pair.

Abstract: Optical communication system communicates between an array of originating tiles and an array of terminating tiles. Each array is associated with a lenslet array, such as a two-layer array which has two layers of lenslets. Each originating tile has an array of transmitters and each terminating tile has an array of receivers. Each tile is associated with a common lenslet or lenslet pair. A beamlet from a representative transmitter passes through the lenslet pair adjacent to its tile to become a collimated beam whose angle is related to the location of the transmitter. The collimated beam passes through the receiver lenslet pair adjacent to the tile containing the receiver associated with the representative transmitter, and is focused onto that receiver by that lenslet pair. The system may operate in the reverse direction, wherein the transmitters are transmitter-receivers, the receivers are receiver-transmitters, and a beam from a receiver-transmitter is directed to its corresponding transmitter-receiver.

Abstract: Optical communication system communicates between an array of originating tiles and an array of terminating tiles. Each array is associated with a lenslet array, such as a two-layer array which has two layers of lenslets. Each originating tile has an array of transmitters and each terminating tile has an array of receivers. Each tile is associated with a common lenslet or lenslet pair. A beamlet from a representative transmitter passes through the lenslet pair adjacent to its tile to become a collimated beam whose angle is related to the location of the transmitter. The collimated beam passes through the receiver lenslet pair adjacent to the tile containing the receiver associated with the representative transmitter, and is focused onto that receiver by that lenslet pair. The system may operate in the reverse direction, wherein the transmitters are transmitter-receivers, the receivers are receiver-transmitters, and a beam from a receiver-transmitter is directed to its corresponding transmitter-receiver.

Abstract: An expanded beam multicore fiber connector has a collimating lens attached to the end of an input multicore fiber, converting its spatially multiplexed array of micron-scale beams into an angularly multiplexed array of beams. The mating point of the connector is disposed past the input collimating lens to a point where these angularly multiplexed beams have substantial spatial overlap. The expanded beam multicore fiber connector may also have a key to aid in angular alignment. An output expanded beam multicore fiber connector mated to the first has a lens that focuses the angularly multiplexed beams onto the output multicore fiber. There is a gap between the lenses in the output and input expanded beam multicore fiber connector due to the extension of the mating point beyond the past the lens. The gap is configured to provide a substantially telecentric imaging system.