Beam-steering micromirrors for large optical cross-connects

This paper describes Si-micromachined two-axis beam- steering micromirrors and their performance in 256 x 256- and 1024 x 1024-port large optical cross-connects (OXCs). The high-reflectivity wavelength-independent mirrors are electrostatically actuated; capable of large, continuous, controlled, dc tilt in any direction at moderate actuation voltages; and allow setting times of a few milliseconds. Packaged two-dimensional (2-D) arrays containing independently addressable identical 256 and 1296 mirrors are used to build fully functional bitrate and wavelength- independent single-stage, low-insertion-loss, single-mode fiber OCX fabrics

1100 x 1100 Port MEMS-based optical crossconnect with 4-dB maximum loss

We present a microelectromechanical systems-based beam steering optical crossconnect switch core with port count exceeding 1100, featuring mean fiber-to-fiber insertion loss of 2.1 Db and maximum insertion loss of 4.0 dB across all possible connections. The challenge of efficient measurement and optimization of all possible connections was met by an automated testing facility. The resulting connections feature optical loss stability of better than 0.2 dB over days, without any feedback control under normal laboratory conditions

238 x 238 Micromechanical optical cross connect

This letter describes a 238x238 beam-steering optical cross connect constructed using surface micromachined mirrors. Its innovative optical configuration resulted in superior optical performance, achieving a mean fiber-to- fiber insertion loss of 1.33 dB and a maximum insertion loss for all 56 644 connections of 2 dB