Optoelectromechanical switch array with passively aligned free-space optical components

An all-optical switch array with micro mirrors driven by electrostatic micro motors has been developed in a LIGAtechnique. The system has been designed for single mode application at the telecommunication wavelength of 1.55 (mu)m. All fixed optical components are passively aligned inside a LIGA-structured micro optical bench. The signals are detoured inside the optical bench by means of micro mirrors, which are attached to micro wobble motors. In order to avoid angular displacements of the deflected light beams double mirrors are used. First, prototypes with 2 input and output ports have been realized. Two of these 2*2 switch matrices have been integrated on a 10 *10 mm/sup 2/ ceramic substrate with six micro motors of 1.7 mm diameter. Switching times down to 30 ms have been achieved. The crosstalk between different channels is 90 dB. The insertion loss with passive alignment of the optical elements yielded 3 dB with a repeatability better than +-0.3 dB.