940 nm VCSEL arrays for optical wireless

We characterize two-dimensional 7-, 19-, and 37-element, electrically parallel, optically uncoupled, 940 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays. We determine trade-offs in power, efficiency, and far field patterns as functions of array geometry. We achieve record bandwidth-power combinations and free-space optical links at up to 25 gigabit-per-second.