Micro Opto-Electronic Devices for Optical Cross-Connect

Transcription

1 Micro Opto-Electronic Devices for Optical Cross-Connect Mohamad A. Habli Sultan Qaboos University Information Engineering Department P.O. Box 33, Muscat 123 Oman Tel: (2538) ABSTRACT Micro opto-electronic device (MOED) are proposed for 2-D optical cross-connect. The MOED consists of an array of control units and polarization beam splitters (PBS). The control unit of MOED is a optp-electronic unit (OECU). The proposed device will either pass the light straight through or deflect it by 90 degrees, depending on the input of the control unit. Keywords: Micro opt-electronic, polarization, 2-D optical cross-connect. 1. Introduction Two-dimensional optical cross connect is of great interest to researcher now a days due to its demand in optical communication. In this paper we are proposing micro optp-electronic device (MOED) for 2-D optical cross-connect. Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) [1-4] technology is now been used in many applications. The optical MEMS, namely the Micro Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MOEMS) [5] have been recently proposed and received a great attention because it can be used in optical communication. In MOEMS, micro mirror which are controlled electromechanically are used to direct the incoming beams of light into their proper channels. In this paper we are proposing new device, the MOED that is controlled electronically. The absence of the mechanical part in the new systems is an advantage over the MOEMS. The Opto-Electronic control unit (OECU) consists of an electronically controlled half wave retarder (HWR). The OECU can either introduce a phase retardation of 180 or zero degrees to the incoming beam by either having the control voltage being 1V or 0V respectively. Such retardation can change the incoming p-pola light to s-pola light and visa versa. Figs. 1 and 2, show the two status of the OECU with the control voltage being 1v and 0v, respectively. 3. Optical Cross-Connect In the proposed optical cross-connect, along with the control unit array, an array of polarization beam splitters (PBS) is used. The PBS can split an un-pola light into its p- pola and s-pola components, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In general, the s- pola light is reflected and the p-pola light is transmitted. 2. The Opto-Electronic Control Unit

2 In MOED a PBS is placed right after the OECU, respectively. The PBS will either transmit the light if it is p-pola light or deflected by 90 degrees if it is s-pola light Figs. 7,8, and 9, show the incoming light been transmitted straight through, deflected 90 degree downward, and deflected 90 degrees upward, respectively D And 2-D Optical Cross-Connect The 1-D cross-connect consists of an array of control units and PBS as shown in Fig. 10. The control unit consists of an electrically controlled half wave retarder (HWR). The control unit will either introduce a phase retardation of 180 or zero degrees to the incoming beam by either having the control being on or off respectively. Such retardation can change an incoming p-pola light to s- pola light and visa versa. The PBS transmits the p-pola and reflects the s- pola light. The input and the output beams need to use polarization preserving waveguides or fiber optics. Figure 11, shows a 2-D cross-connect. 5. CONCLUSION Micro opto-electronic device (MOED) is presented. The new device can be used in 2-D optical cross-connect. The new proposed MOED has advantage over the MOEMS due to the absence of the mechanical part in the new systems. 6. REFERENCES 1. K. E. Burcham, J. T. Boyd, Applied Optics-LP, Volume 37, Issue 36, , H. Toshiyoshi, M. Kobayashi, D. Miyauchi, H. Fujita, J. Podlecki, Y. Arakawa, Journal of Lightwave Technology, Volume 17, Issue 1, S. Lee, L. Huang, C. Kim, M. Wu, Journal of Lightwave Technology, Volume 17, Issue 1, G. Shen, T. Cheng, S.K. Bose, C. Lu, T. Chai, Journal of Lightwave Technology, Volume 20, Issue 2, K. Yallup, FBER SYSTEMS International, Vol 2, No. 3, 2001.

3 S- Fig. 1 Opto-electronic control unit (OECU) with the control voltage v=1. Fig. 2 OECU with the control voltage v=0. rization UN- riz V riz riz ation Fig. 3 rization beam splitter (PBS) setup to transmit the p-pola light and deflect the s-pola light by 90 o. Fig. 4 OECU-PBS setup to transmit the incoming beam straight through.

4 EOCU S- rization Fig. 5 OECU-PBS setup to deflect the incoming beam 90 o. Fig. 6 Micro Opto-electronic device (MOED) used as a 1-D cross connect.

5 Fig. 7 Micro Opto-electronic device (MOED) used as a 2-D cross connect.