Title :
Lightwave micromachines
Author_Institution :
AT&T Bell Labs., Holmdel, NJ, USA
Abstract :
Optical micromachines may soon replace bulk opto-mechanical switches and attenuators in lightwave equipment. These new lightwave micromachines are small and fast, often enabling new functions not available from conventional devices. Applications are identified for long-distance metropolitan, access PON, and undersea links. Experiments with one lightwave micromachine, a MEMS reflective optical switch, illustrate the potential for compact optical attenuators, reconfigurable add/drop multiplexers, and optically-powered optical circuits
Keywords :
electro-optical switches; metropolitan area networks; micromechanical devices; multiplexing equipment; optical communication equipment; optical fibre subscriber loops; MEMS reflective optical switch; access PON; attenuators; bulk opto-mechanical switches; compact optical attenuators; lightwave equipment; lightwave micromachines; long-distance metropolitan links; optical micromachines; optically-powered optical circuits; reconfigurable add/drop multiplexers; undersea links; Biomedical optical imaging; Microelectromechanical devices; Micromechanical devices; Microswitches; Optical attenuators; Optical fiber networks; Optical interferometry; Optical network units; Optical switches; Passive optical networks;
Conference_Titel :
Optical Communication, 1998. 24th European Conference on
Conference_Location :
Madrid
Print_ISBN :
84-89900-14-0
DOI :
10.1109/ECOC.1998.732526
