Abstract

Optical interconnections in combination with low-temperature system operation provide an opportunity for enhanced performance of advanced high-speed, high-density electronic computing, imaging, and communication systems [1]. Furthermore, optical interconnects provide low thermal loading on the cryostat. Vertical-Cavity Lasers (VCLs) represent a promising approach for low temperature optical interconnect applications, because of their potential for low cost manufacture in arrays, their desirable optical properties, and superior performance achievable at cryogenic temperatures [2,3]. The potential of VCLs in cryogenic high-speed optical links has been demonstrated [3,4], but the required drive powers at low optical output power (0.1-0.2 mW) have still been higher than desired.

© 1996 Optical Society of America