Micro-machined optical switch with tapered ends

Details Micro-machined optical switch with tapered ends Micro-machined optical switch with tapered ends

1998-09-17

2000-08-22

Healy, Brian

Optical waveguides

With optical coupler

Switch

385 15, 385 16, 385 20, 385 21, 385 24, G02B 626

Patent

active

061084662

ABSTRACT:
One-by-three and two-by-two optical switches comprising optical waveguides or fibers with tapered ends that utilize electrostatically-driven actuators are disclosed. Tapering of the fiber ends allow the ends to be positioned in close proximity to one another to yield an optical switch with low insertion loss. In one embodiment the optical switch comprises: (1) four optical waveguides each having a tapered end comprising two tapered edges and disposed on a support such that each tapered edge of each waveguide is in opposed and near-abutting relation with a tapered edge of another optical waveguide, said near abutment defining a space between each pair of opposes tapered edges; (2) a first electromechanical actuator operable to move at least a first optical device into and out of a path of an optical signal travelling between two of the waveguides, wherein the first optical device moves in the space between a first pair of opposed tapered edges; and (3) a second electromechanical actuator operable to move at least a second optical device into and out of the path of the optical signal, wherein the second optical device moves in the space between a second pair of opposed tapered edges, wherein one tapered edge of the first pair and one tapered edge of the second pair are common to one of the optical waveguides.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3874779 (1975-04-01), Thiel
patent: 4836636 (1989-06-01), Obara et al.
patent: 4932745 (1990-06-01), Blonder
patent: 5481631 (1996-01-01), Cahill et al.
patent: 5742712 (1998-04-01), Pan et al.
patent: 5923798 (1999-07-01), Aksyuk et al.
patent: 5963367 (1999-10-01), Aksyuk et al.
patent: 6005993 (1999-12-01), MacDonald

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