As one solution to implement the largecapacity space division multiplexing (SDM) transmission systems, the mode division multiplexing (MDM) has gained much attention recently. The vector mode (VM), which is the eigenmode of the optical fiber, has also been adopted to realize the optical communications including the transmission over free-space optical (FSO) and optical fiber links. Considering the concerns on the short-reach optical interconnects, the low cost and high integration technologies should be developed. Direct detection (DD) with higher-order modulation formats in combination of MDM technologies could offer an available trade-off in system performance and complexity. We review demonstrations of FSO and fiber high-speed data transmission based on the VM MDM (VMDM) technologies. The special VMs, cylindrical vector beams (CVB), have been generated by the q-plate (QP) and characterized accordingly. And then they were used to implement the VMDM transmission with direct-detection orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DD-OFDM). These demonstrations show the potential of VMDM-DD-OFDM technology in the large-capacity short-reach transmission links.