3D-MEMS optical switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529157-B2
Application number	US-201514950877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	May 28, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A 3D-MEMS optical switch, comprising: a collimator array, a PD array, a window glass which covers the PD array and is coated with a partial reflection film, a micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) micro-mirror, and a core optical switch controller connected to the PD array and the MEMS micro-mirror. The PD array is integrated inside the core optical switch, so that the architecture and the volume of the optical switch are simplified. The window glass which covers the PD array and is coated with a partial reflection film is used to fold an optical path, and some optical signals are transmitted onto the PD array, so that the core optical switch controller adjusts the MEMS micro-mirror according to the optical power of the optical signals detected by the PD array, so as to enable the insertion loss of the 3D-MEMS optical switch to meet a preset attenuation range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A 3-dimensions micro-electro-mechanic system 3D-MEMS optical switch, comprising: a collimator array, a power detector (PD) array, window glass covering the PD array and partially plated with a reflective film, a micro-electro-mechanic system MEMS micromirror, and a core optical switch controller connected to the PD array and the MEMS micromirror; wherein
the window glass covering the PD array and partially plated with the reflective film is configured to acquire an optical signal from the collimator array, partially reflect the optical signal acquired from the collimator array onto the MEMS micromirror and partially transmit the optical signal acquired from the collimator array onto the PD array, and is further configured to acquire an optical signal reflected by the MEMS micromirror, partially reflect the optical signal reflected by the MEMS micromirror onto the collimator array and partially transmit the optical signal reflected by the MEMS micromirror onto the PD array;
the PD array is configured to detect an optical power of the optical signal transmitted onto the PD array; and
the core optical switch controller is configured to adjust the MEMS micromirror based on the detected optical power of the optical signal transmitted onto the PD array, to make insertion loss of the 3D-MEMS optical switch meet a preset target attenuation value.

2. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the PD array is fixed on the collimator array, or is fixed on an input/output optical path of the collimator array via a support.

3. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the PD array comprises an input PD array and an output PD array;
the window glass covering the PD array and partially plated with the reflective film comprises input window glass and output window glass;
the collimator array comprises an input collimator array and an output collimator array;
the MEMS micromirror comprises an input MEMS micromirror and an output MEMS micromirror;
wherein the input window glass is configured to acquire an optical signal from the input collimator array, partially reflect the optical signal acquired from the input collimator array onto the input MEMS micromirror and partially transmit the optical signal acquired from the input collimator array onto the input PD array;
the input MEMS micromirror is configured to reflect the optical signal onto the output MEMS micromirror;
the output MEMS micromirror is configured to reflect the optical signal onto the output window glass; and
the output window glass is configured to acquire the optical signal reflected by the output MEMS micromirror, partially reflect the optical signal reflected by the output MEMS micromirror onto the output collimator array and partially transmit the optical signal reflected by the output MEMS micromirror onto the output PD array.

4. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 3 , wherein
a plane on which the input PD array is located is parallel to a plane on which the output PD array is located;
a plane on which the input collimator array is located is parallel to a plane on which the output collimator array is located; and
a plane on which the input MEMS micromirror is located is parallel to a plane on which the output MEMS micromirror is located.

5. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 3 , wherein
the input PD array is arranged in the same plane with the output PD array;
the input collimator array is arranged in the same plane with the output collimator array; and
the input MEMS micromirror is arranged in the same plane with the output MEMS micromirror.

6. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 5 , further comprising a reflecting mirror or a triangular prism disposed on an optical path between the input MEMS micromirror and the output MEMS micromirror and configured to reflect an optical signal reflected by the input MEMS micromirror onto the output MEMS micromirror.

7. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the window glass covering the PD array and partially plated with the reflective film being configured to partially reflect the optical signal acquired from the collimator array onto the MEMS micromirror and partially transmit the optical signal acquired from the collimator array onto the PD array comprises:
reflecting, in a first preset ratio, the optical signal acquired from the collimator array onto the MEMS micromirror and transmitting, in a second preset ratio, the optical signal acquired from the collimator array onto the PD array; and
the window glass covering the PD array and partially plated with the reflective film being configured to partially reflect the optical signal reflected by the MEMS micromirror onto the collimator array and partially transmit the optical signal reflected by the MEMS micromirror onto the PD array comprises:
reflecting, in the first preset ratio, the optical signal reflected by the MEMS micromirror onto the collimator array and transmitting, in the second preset ratio, the optical signal reflected by the MEMS micromirror onto the PD array.

8. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 3 , wherein
the input PD array is configured to detect an input optical power of the optical signal transmitted onto the input PD array;
the output PD array is configured to detect an output optical power of the optical signal transmitted onto the output PD array; and
the core optical switch controller is configured to adjust an angle of the MEMS micromirror in a case that insertion loss of the 3D-MEMS optical switch does not meet a preset attenuation interval, to make the insertion loss of the 3D-MEMS optical switch meet a preset target attenuation value.

9. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 1 , wherein the PD array comprises a plurality of PD sub-arrays.

10. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 5 , wherein the input PD array and the output PD array are connected as a whole, and the input window glass and the output window glass are connected as a whole.

11. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 5 , wherein the input MEMS micromirror and the output MEMS micromirror are connected as a whole.

12. The 3D-MEMS optical switch according to claim 5 , wherein the input collimator array and the output collimator array are connected as a whole.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Chunhui
• Jiang Chendi

Classifications

• G02B6/3518 Primary

  the reflective optical element being an intrinsic part of a MEMS device, i.e. fabricated together with the MEMS device (MEMS devices in general B81B; manufacture of MEM devices in general B81C; micromechanical devices controlling the direction of light G02B26/0833) · CPC title

• G02B6/3556

  NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation · CPC title