What is a MEMS Optical Switch?

MEMS optical switches and their arrays have a wide range of applications in existing optical communications. Its application scope mainly includes: protection switching system of optical network, light source control in optical fiber testing, real-time monitoring system of network performance, testing of optical components, switching core for building OXC equipment, optical add/drop multiplexing, optical testing, optical sensor system, etc.

A 1×N-port optical switch based on MEMS technology, which includes a MEMS micromirror, a collimating lens and a multi-fiber pin. The MEMS micromirror is usually mounted on a TO tube holder, and then the collimating lens and the TO tube holder are assembled into a component through the TO tube cap. Finally, in the active debugging state, the multi-fiber pin is aligned with the aforementioned component and assembled. fixed together.

MEMS optical switches can realize comprehensive remote control of all-optical networks, and have the main advantages of integration, low power consumption and low cost. MEMS optical switches have the advantages of low insertion loss, low crosstalk, low polarization sensitivity, high extinction ratio of mechanical optical switches and high switching speed, small size, and easy large-scale integration of waveguide switches.

The principle of the MEMS optical switch is very simple. When the light is exchanged, the angle of the MEMS micromirror is moved or changed through the driving of electrostatic force or magnetic power, and the input light is switched to the different output ends of the optical switch to realize the switching and on-off of the optical path. .