Abstract

Free-space optical systems provide parallel access to 2D–dataplanes for data routing and processing purposes. For the construction of complex optical data processing systems microintegration is necessary to get compact setups at acceptable costs. These systems should be modular and self aligning and should allow to cascade an arbitrary number of stages to construct feedback loops. These requirements are met both by planar and by stacked microintegration. Using these techniques optical structures can be produced with lithographic precission on one substrate, thus allowing smart pixel arrays to be aligned to the optical system.

© 1995 Optical Society of America