Que L., Witjaksono G., Gianchandani Y.B.
University of Wisconsin, US
Keywords: MEMS, optical interference effects, optical modulation, phase-shifting gate, reflectivity
This paper reports the modeling and design of a micromechanical optical modulator with a phase-shifting gate that utilizes optical interference effects to modulate light. The gate is opened or closed by microactuators integrated on the same chip, modulating light beams between stationary optical fibers. Modeling results show optimized designs can have high modulation efficiency of 99.5%, and contrast ratio of 23 dB. Alignment between fibers is guaranteed by guiding grooves available in standard MEMS batch fabrication techniques, which also permits coupling distance between fibers to be minimized. The insertion loss for a typical design can be less than ñ1.9 dB. The beam profile shows negligible distortion for 40mm or lower coupling distances.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: Technical Proceedings of the 2000 International Conference on Modeling and Simulation of Microsystems
Published: March 27, 2000
Pages: 664 - 667
Industry sector: Sensors, MEMS, Electronics
Topic: Modeling & Simulation of Microsystems
ISBN: 0-9666135-7-0