Integrated signal monitoring and connection verification in MEMS optical crossconnects

We propose and demonstrate integrated signal-monitoring and connection-verification schemes for microelectromechanical-system (MEMS) optical crossconnects. The schemes utilize monolithically integrated beamsplitters and hybrid-integrated photodetectors as output signal-monitoring modules. To achieve connection verification, on-chip micromirror dithering is employed to encode optical signals with pilot tones that are used only internally to the crossconnect. The approaches described offer a potentially compact means of implementing several critical network-management and surveillance features.