Micromachined L-switching matrix

Explosion in Internet applications has stimulated active research activities in expanding the capability of the current telecommunication networks. These activities include implementing faster electronics to process the higher data bit rates, or developing wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) techniques, and novel optical networks components to increase the information carrying capacity of the optical networks. As the data bit rates increases, it will become increasingly difficult to implement an electronic switching fabric solution. It is known that the information carrying laser beams should be dealt with at the optical level. One of most promising optical network components is micromachined optical cross connect switches. We present a new crossbar switching design methodology that decreases the number of mirrors and electrodes needed while maintaining the same non-blocking port switching capability. More importantly, this new architecture also reduces the distance of free-space propagation of light beams, thus reducing the loss due to Guassian-beam divergence during free-space propagation of light.