It is proposed that standard micromechanical structures, such as torsi
onal prates, cantilevers, doubly supported beams and drumheads, can be
fitted with zone-plate reflectors to form low-loss, high-contact and
high-speed optical switches. Such devices have many potential uses, in
cluding fibre-to-the-home applications. This paper focuses on the calc
ulated properties of zone plates for plane-wave, point and Gaussian be
am sources.