OPTICAL ASSEMBLY THAT INCLUDES AN OPTICAL ELEMENT CONNECTED TO A VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER DEVICE VIA TWO OR MORE ATTACHMENT STRUCTURES

An optical assembly includes an integrated circuit (IC) driver chip; an optical subassembly disposed on the IC driver chip that includes: a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) device, an optical element disposed above a top surface of the VCSEL device, and two or more attachment structures disposed between the VCSEL device and the optical element; and two or more additional attachment structures disposed between the IC driver chip and the optical subassembly. The VCSEL device includes: a cathode contact disposed on the top surface of the VCSEL device, and an anode contact disposed on the top surface of the VCSEL device. The optical element includes two or more conductive traces on a bottom surface of the optical element. The two or more attachment structures are disposed between the two or more conductive traces of the optical element, and the cathode contact and the anode contact of the VCSEL device.