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Optical and mechanical models for a variable optical attenuator using a micromirror drawbridge

A Q Liu1, X M Zhang1, C Lu1, F Wang2, C Lu2 and Z S Liu2

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In this paper, we develop optical and mechanical models of a surface micromachined variable optical attenuator (VOA) having an initial tilt angle. The proposed models are employed to compare various characteristics of the VOA such as snap-down voltage, attenuation versus driving voltage, and the rise time and the fall time based on the experimental data. In addition, the analytical models of the static and dynamic behavior of the drawbridge are verified using the results from the finite element method. We obtain reasonable accuracy between the results from the experiment and the proposed models.


PACS

85.85.+j Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and devices

02.70.Dh Finite-element and Galerkin methods

42.79.Bh Lenses, prisms and mirrors

42.79.Sz Optical communication systems, multiplexers, and demultiplexers

Subjects

Computational physics

Electronics and devices

Optics, quantum optics and lasers

Nanoscale science and low-D systems

Dates

Issue 3 (May 2003)

Received 27 September 2002, in final form 24 February 2003

Published 18 March 2003



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