A REVIEW OF OPTICAL MEMS DEVICES

  • Panduranga Rao M V

Abstract

Optical networks are composed of optical elements in the technology of optical transmission. And optical components are where much of the demand for production and cost savings from the industry comes to bear. Traditionally, optical components have been classified into (i) active components such as lasers, detectors, modulators, transceivers, etc., and (ii) passive components such as filters, couplers, splitters, isolators, etc. A revision to this categorization has recently been introduced that would add a new type of optical components known as Dynamic Components. Dynamic Components are essentially passive but have the added capability of modifying a physical parameter of the light or reconfiguring its optical direction in real-time. This class of components includes the Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA), Tunable filter, 1 x N Switch, Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS), MEMS Scanning Mirror, Dynamic Dispersion Compensation, etc. Optical MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) devices are the chosen technology for activating Complex Components. MEMS technology's central idea is to create micro-mechanical devices using the technology of Semiconductor Wafer Manufacturing, which has long been used to construct Integrated Circuits. In this paper, summary of the Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MoEMS) market products and their success stories are discussed.

Published
2019-12-25