Title :
Optical microelectromechanical system array for free-space retrocommunication
Author :
Luo, Changping ; Goossen, K.W.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
Abstract :
We demonstrate here an optical link for free-space retrocommunication based on an optical microelectromechanical system array with a structure of mechanically active antireflection switch using a thin Si3N4 membrane. The array consists of 215 identical single devices with a total active area of 36 mm2 and was fabricated with the normal surface sacrificial micromachining. An overfilled reflectance contrast of 3 dB was observed at 6328 Å and a data rate of 100 kb/s shown in 50 mtorr vacuum. A design tradeoff between the high optical filling factor and the high working frequency is discussed.
Keywords :
micro-optics; micromachining; micromechanical devices; optical arrays; optical fabrication; optical links; optical switches; reflectivity; 100 kbit/s; 50 mtorr; free-space retrocommunication; mechanically active antireflection switch; normal surface sacrificial micromachining; optical filling factor; optical link; optical microelectromechanical system array; reflectance; thin Si3N4 membrane; Biomembranes; Filling; Frequency; Microelectromechanical systems; Micromachining; Optical arrays; Optical design; Optical fiber communication; Optical switches; Reflectivity;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/LPT.2004.831947
