Title :
MEM´s the word for optical beam manipulation
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng. & Comput. Sci., California Univ., Berkeley, CA
fDate :
7/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The best way to switch the direction of an optical beam is simply to rotate a mirror, focus an optical beam by mechanically translating a lens, or extinguish an unwanted optical beam by physically blocking its path. Recent, independent developments in microelectromechanical (MEM) devices promise to remedy the issue of high cost and unreliability associated with the “moving parts” needed for these optical functions. This article describes some aspects of these recent developments undertaken in the “microphotonics” group at U.C. Berkeley on building MEM-based optical systems on a silicon chip
Keywords :
micromechanical devices; optical elements; MEMS; Si; microelectromechanical device; microphotonics; optical beam manipulation; silicon chip; Cost function; Lenses; Mirrors; Optical beams; Optical devices; Optical switches; Silicon;
Journal_Title :
Circuits and Devices Magazine, IEEE