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IEEE Journal of Lightwave Technology
Volume 18 Number 4, April 2000

Table of Contents for this issue

Complete paper in PDF format

On the Expandability of Free-Space Micromachined Optical Cross Connects

Lih-Yuan Lin, Member, IEEE, Member, OSA Evan L. Goldstein, Member, IEEE and Robert W. Tkach Senior Member, IEEE, Fellow, OSA

Page 482.

Abstract:

Free-space micromachined optical-switching technology has emerged as a promising candidate for the large-scale optical cross connects that are needed in next-generation optical-transport networks. Although this technology has demonstrated good optical performance, its ability to expand to the required port-count while remaining within reasonable optical loss budgets has yet to be demonstrated. In this paper, we theoretically analyze the expandability of free-space micromachined optical switches. The chief loss mechanisms-Gaussian-beam divergence and angular misalignment-are analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. We find that micromirror angular repeatability in such a cross connect must be accurate within about 0.1°, and show that integrated mechanical structures are capable of achieving this goal. These results in general suggest that free-space micromachined optical-switching technology appears capable of achieving the port-count required by core-transport networks while remaining within cross-office optical-loss budgets.

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