MEMS technology - Micromachines enabling the "all optical network"

Research on micromachines or MEMS technology has been ongoing for more than a decade. Early work focused on biomedical, printing and airbag applications. Only recently has this technology been applied to telecommunications networks. This new micro-optics technology, known as Optical MEMS, is enabling a new generation of optical components to facilitate deployment of the "all optical network". Optical MEMS are miniature optical elements (such as mire mirrors) capable of moving and managing light. Because these devices steer light beams - not electrons, they are bit rate, wavelength (channel) and protocol independent. This paper will discuss the current trends in Optical MEMS research. It will discuss several telecommunications applications including optical switching, dynamic gain equalization, variable optical attenuation and dynamic add/drop multiplexing. The author will discuss some of the many challenges in implementing MEMS in field grade optical components and review some of the competing technologies. Finally, future directions in MEMS research will be discussed -- especially in the area of optical switching; the so-called "killer" MEMS application.