MEMS Optical Switch: Advantages and Applications

 MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) is a micro device or system integrating micro-machinery, micro-actuator, signal processing and control circuits, etc. Micro-mechanical structures are prepared by photo-lithography, ion beam etching, chemical etching, wafer bonding, etc., while electrodes are prepared on the mechanical structure for electronic control. Traditional switches with electricity as the core technology gradually lag behind the demand for high speed and large capacity optical communication, which gave rise to all-optical switches in the market. Among them, MEMS optical switches are widely used featuring compact size, low power consumption and good expansibility. 

Advantages of MEMS Optical Switches

Featuring main advantages of integration, low power consumption and low cost, MEMS optical switches can realize the overall remote control of all-optical network. MEMS optical switches combine the advantages of mechanical optical switches, such as low insertion loss, low crosstalk, low polarization sensitivity, high extinction ratio, and the advantages of waveguide optical switches, such as high switching speed, compact size and easy integration. The performance of MEMS optical switches can meet the technical requirements of DWDM all-optical network. MEMS devices have high single-batch yield, good economical efficiency, and good repeatability between devices, providing more possibilities for reducing system costs. Read more on Applications of MEMS Optical Switch.