MAGNETICALLY ACTUATED FIBEROPTIC SWITCH WITH MICROMACHINED POSITIONING STAGES

A new microfabrication technology for the design and realization of 1 x n and n x n fiber-optic switches, x, xy, and xyz translational stage s, optical scanners, Fiber-fiber couplers, and fiber-planar-waveguide couplers is presented. This technology is based on bulk anisotropic et ching and offers significant improvements over present micro-optical a nd microphotonic devices. With this new enabling technology we have fa bricated 200-mu m-2-cm translational stages for use in beam steering a nd fiber-optic switching applications. We present the fabrication and characterization of a 1 x n micromechanical fiber-optic switch using t his new technology. These nonoptimized devices have switching times of <10 ms with <-1-dB loss. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.