An Innovative Silicon Micromachined Fiber Optic Switch and Switch Array

Current relay type optical switches are relatively too large in size, too slow in speed, and unreliable in function. Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to investigate an innovative silicon micromachined fiber optic switch (FOS) by using the combined technologies of standard photolithographic processing and silicon thin-film micromachining. The FOS concept will combine two types of switching concepts into one single micromachined structure to achieve fast switching using both moveable beam switches and moveable fiber switches. The key functional parts of the FOS are a planar variable reluctance thin-film microactuator and a number of silicon machined planar microsprings. POC's theoretical calculations show that the FOS concept will be small ( 40 dB), and a fairly short switching time (= 1 ms). It is expected that the successful investigation of this project will lead to a new miniature-fiber- optic switch array for the fast advancing optical fiber communication system and sensor network markets.