Application oriented side of optical interconnections

Summary form only given, as follows. In communication systems data rates of 1 Gbit/s to 40 Gbit/s are getting standard these days. Crosstalk, EMI and signal distortion are limiting conventional electrical interconnections. To overcome these problems optical interconnection techniques are considered. Different application areas of optical interconnections are presented. Comparisons to electrical solutions are given. The challenges to component design are addressed with special emphasis on lasers (VCSELs) and integrated circuits. Current serial and parallel interconnect solutions and a future outlook are shown.