Miniaturized piezoelectrically driven fiber optic switches with transmittive micro-optics

Rolf Goering; Thomas Martin; Bernt Goetz; Dirk Doering

doi:10.1117/12.361255

2 September 1999 Miniaturized piezoelectrically driven fiber optic switches with transmittive micro-optics

Rolf Goering, Thomas Martin, Bernt Goetz, Dirk Doering

Proceedings Volume 3878, Miniaturized Systems with Micro-Optics and MEMS; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.361255
Event: Symposium on Micromachining and Microfabrication, 1999, Santa Clara, CA, United States

Abstract

We have developed different concepts of fiber optic switches based on hybrid transmittive micro-optical system, where switching is achieved by piezoelectrical movement of one of the micro-optical components. The input fiber beam is either collimated and deflected by a piezoelectrically driven short focal length microlens or refocussed onto a microprism structure, which is also piezoelectrically driven and deflects the beam in a number of discrete directions. In all of our configurations after deflection the beam is redirected and coupled into one of N output fibers by the use of a microlens array. The output fibers are also arranged in regular array. The switch configuration with continuous deflection is ideally suited for a large number of output channels, however, the problem still unsolved is to achieve high output channel stability and reproducibility. At the opposite, the discrete beam deflection approach ensures high stability and reproducibility by the optical arrangement and does not require position sensing for the actuators. The latter concept, of course requires special microprism elements, which are not available commercially. They have been fabricated with sufficient high quality by gray-tone lithography. For both concepts switch prototypes have been built up, yielding excellent optical parameters with respect to insertion loss and cross-talk. Typical switching times of 1 ms have been achieved. Special experimental setups have been built up for system integration.

Citation Download Citation

Rolf Goering, Thomas Martin, Bernt Goetz, and Dirk Doering "Miniaturized piezoelectrically driven fiber optic switches with transmittive micro-optics", Proc. SPIE 3878, Miniaturized Systems with Micro-Optics and MEMS, (2 September 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.361255

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