IEICE Trans - Micro-Mechanical Wavelength-Selectable Filters for Photonic Networks

Micro-Mechanical Wavelength-Selectable Filters for Photonic Networks

Masato MIZUKAMI
Yoshitada KATAGIRI

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Electronics Vol.E90-C No.1 pp.12-17
Publication Date: 2007/01/01
Online ISSN: 1745-1353
DOI: 10.1093/ietele/e90-c.1.12
Print ISSN: 0916-8516
Type of Manuscript: Special Section PAPER (Special Section on Microoptomechatronics)
Category: Optomechatronic Instrumentation
Keyword:
optomechatronics, wavelength selection, optical filters, optical switches,

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Summary:
We propose and demonstrate wavelength-selectable filters available for 32 WDM channels using a micro-mechanically movable mechanism with miniaturized voice-coil motors (VCMs). A simple straight geometry with a staggered configuration is used to densely pack 32 in/out moving elements into a small space of 45

11 mm. The elements are precisely arranged along a collimated beam between fiber facets to provide flat-top passbands centered at ITU-T grids while maintaining small total insertion losses of less than 2.5 dB for all elements. The driving condition of the VCMs is also optimized for quick dynamic response with typical settling time of less than 10 ms. A repetition test 10⁶ repetitions per element showed good wavelength reproducibility to an accuracy of below 0.1 nm, indicating the switches are feasible for practical system equipped with reconfigurable functionality for the next generation of optical networks.