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Keywords

fiber optics; mirrors; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS); Optics

Abstract

Small-tilt micromirror-based 2x2 fiber optic switch array structures are proposed using fixed mirrors and fiber interconnections. A multiwavelength 2x2 fiber optic switch based on this small-tilt micromirror is experimentally demonstrated. The key innovation in this architecture is the use of a specially located fixed mirror to form a symmetric 2x2 retroreflective switching structure. These 2x2 fiber optic switch structures can also provide a fault-tolerant design using a macropixel approach. A two-dimensional digital micromirror device (2D-DMD) from Texas Instruments (TI) designed to operate in the visible band is used to represent the small-tilt micromirrors in our experimental demonstration. Multiwavelength switch operation is characterized by changing the operating wavelength of the tunable laser. The measured average optical coherent crosstalk is -22 dB with +/-0.9 dB fluctuation over 40 nm, limited by the on-off ratio of the 2D-DMD. The measured average optical loss is 14.8 dB at a 1.55-mu m operating wavelength, limited by the visible wavelength design TI 2D-DMD, three-port optical circulators, fiber adapters, and free-space-to-fiber coupling efficiency.

Journal Title

Optical Engineering

Volume

39

Issue/Number

2

Publication Date

1-1-2000

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

379

Last Page

386

WOS Identifier

WOS:000085384500006

ISSN

0091-3286

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