Lossless Array Combination and Space-Variant Interconnections via Optical Space-Multiplexing.

A means for providing lossless spot array combination and for losslessly implementing arbitrarily space-variant optical interconnections without sacrificing optical space-bandwidth product is described. The technique uses space-variant mirrors and polarization beam splitters to separate and combine sets of device output spots, where a different interconnection operation is performed on each spatially separable set. These space variant mirrors are inexpensive and easily fabricated. Example implementations of Banyan interconnections, and applications for laser combining, and opto-electronic interconnections are presented.