Advanced three-dimensional MEMS photonic cross-connect switch for nonblocking all-optical networks

The 3D MEMS optical switch utilizes highly reflective micromirrors to manipulate an optical signal inside the switch directly without any conversions, offering bit rate and data protocol independency. As indicated by the simulation results of this paper, many of developed micromirrors (by various companies) are not optimized well in the sense of dynamic behavior and can be further improved. This non-optimal design negatively limits the switching speed of the optical switch. The switching mechanism is in a fact the two-way coupling between the mechanical structure (micromirror) and electrostatic field (electrodes) - see e.g. Ananthasuresh [1, Sec. 11.4]. This introduces additional effects resulting in coupled rotation of the micromirror about its axes - the cross-axis coupling effect. Existing solutions are mainly focused on the optimization of the control strategy of the micromirror aiming to suppress its oscillations and to minimize the switching time. Our approach is foremost focused on the optimization of dynamic characteristics of the micromirror. This suppress negative effects of cross-axis coupling and thus allows further reduction of the switching time of the switch. Our results are supported by simulation experiments, which consider the switching element as multiphysics system described by partial differential equations. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.