Electrostatically driven micromechanical 2 × 2 optical switch

Abstract

This paper describes a new electrostatically driven micromechanical 2 x 2 optical switch which has advantages in terms of its small size and low driving power. Insertion losses, which are important to the fabrication of a low loss switch, are theoretically and experimentally evaluated. Based on the results, the relationship between cross angle and gap length is obtained in order to minimize insertion loss. The switch is demonstrated and its switching performance is examined. Insertion losses of less than 3.1 dB and crosstalk of less than-40 dB were obtained.

Ultrafast Switching of Photonic Entanglement

“…Additionally, the switch's operational wavelength must be compatible with a low-loss, non-dispersive transmission medium, such as standard optical fiber's 1.3-µm zero-dispersion band [2,3]. Unfortunately, no previously demonstrated technology [4]-[15] is capable of simultaneously satisfying each of the above requirements: waveguide electro-optic modulators (EOMs) [16] and resonators [17,18] can operate at very high speeds (10 GHz) but completely destroy any quantum information stored in the polarization degree of freedom; micro-electromechanical switches [6,19] do not degrade the photon's quantum state, but operate at very low speeds (<= 250 kHz); polarizationindependent EOMs [16] can operate at moderate speeds (∼100 MHz) but with relatively high loss; and finally, traditional 1550-nm devices based on nonlinear-optical fiber loops [7,20] generate unacceptably high levels of Raman-induced noise photons (> 1 in-band noise photon per 100-ps switching window [21]). Although the requirements for ultrafast entangledphoton switching are collectively daunting, they describe a device that is capable of selectively coupling the spatial and temporal degrees of photonic quantum information.…”

Devices Based on Co-Integrated MEMS Actuators and Optical Waveguide: A Review

“…It was only a matter of time before these two technologies would converge and at the beginning of the 1990s, several research groups in Asia [ 4 , 5 ], Europe [ 6 , 7 ] and America [ 8 ] proposed to use MEMS actuator with waveguide for a large range of different devices, from simpler sensors to optical telecommunication switches. Researchers have over the years explored different paths for building those devices where a MEMS actuator is able to modify the propagation of the light in a waveguide.…”

Small-tilt micromirror-device-based multiwavelength three-dimensional 2×2 fiber optic switch structures

“…In addition, MEMS technology presently promises to be the featured choice for a space-based environment compared to other switch technologies. 5 Integrated optics MEMS switch architectures have been proposed that include an electrostatically driven micromechanical 2ϫ2 optical switch, 6 an electrostatically actuated integrated optical nanomechanical wavelength-dependent directional switch, 7 and the integration of membrane type deformable mirror devices with optical wavelengths to form a 2ϫ2 single-mode optical fiber switches. 8 MEMS-based free-space 2ϫ2 fiber optic switch architectures were also proposed using micromachined piezoelectric thin-film microactuators.…”