MULTI-PORT SOLUTION FOR EFFICIENT, LOW-COST OPTICAL SWITCHES

Abstract

Optical switches offer a promising solution for routing optical-fiber based signals which are popular within the telecommunications industry. The project presented here investigated the possibility of utilizing a large displacement electrostatic comb-drive actuator to permit a single input signal to be routed to one of multiple output optical ports. A review of the literature revealed several solution possibilities that have been explored in the past; however, the majority of the multi-port solutions use complicated actuator arrays to achieve the necessary routing capability. By using a single degree of freedom system, the complexity of both the manufacturing process as well as the control method for the final system can be simplified. Presented here is a novel design for an optical switch including the fabrication process, mask layout, and packaging method necessary to realize this design as a real world application.

A review of MEMS technology as applied to optical switches and a proposal for a new design.