Polymeric MOEMS variable optical attenuator

• Published in: IEEE Photonics Technology Letters (ISSN: 1041-1135), vol. 18, num. 21-24, p. 2425-2427
• Publication date: 2006

In this letter, we take advantage of the high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a chemically amplified, epoxy-based negative polymer (SU-8) to define a low-power consumption polymeric variable optical attenuator that combines the working principles of microoptoelectromechanical systems and photonic light-wave circuits. The SU-8 symmetric structure comprises a seismic mass and four mechanical beams. Three multimode waveguides are defined on this structure: two of them are located on the frame and the third one in the middle of the seismic mass. Aluminum is used as a heater electrode extending over two of the mechanical beams and part of the seismic mass. When a dc voltage is applied, the mechanical beams bend, resulting in a misalignment between the waveguides. Experimental results have shown a power consumption of 12 mW at 20 dB with a working wavelength of 633 nm emitted from a light-emitting diode.

Keywords: electrothermal actuators ; microoptoelectromechanical systems (moems) ; polymer waveguides ; variable optical attenuators (voas) ; wave-guide ; power

Note:

Llobera, A Tech Univ Carolo Wilhelmina Braunschweig, Inst Mikrotech, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany Tech Univ Carolo Wilhelmina Braunschweig, Inst Mikrotech, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany CSIC, Inst Microelect, Barcelona, Spain

121QY

Times Cited:0

Cited References Count:13

Reference

• EPFL-ARTICLE-187864
• doi:10.1109/Lpt.2006.886134
• URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/search/wrapper.jsp?arnumber=4012066
• URL: ://000243173300078
• URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ielx5/68/36134/04012066.pdf?tp=&arnumber=4012066&isnumber=36134

Record created on 2013-08-06, modified on 2017-05-10