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End-coupled optical waveguide MEMS devices in the indium phosphide material system

Marcel W Pruessner1,2,3,4, Nathan Siwak1,2,3, Kuldeep Amarnath2,3, S Kanakaraju2,3, Wen-Hsien Chuang1,2,3 and Reza Ghodssi1,2,3

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We demonstrate electrostatically actuated end-coupled optical waveguide devices in the indium phosphide (InP) material system. The design of a suitable layer structure and fabrication process for actuated InP-based waveguide micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) is reviewed. Critical issues for optical design, such as coupling losses, are discussed and their effect on device performance is evaluated. Several end-coupled waveguide devices are demonstrated, including 1 × 2 optical switches and resonant sensors with integrated optical readout. The 1 × 2 optical switches exhibit low-voltage operation (<7 V), low crosstalk (−26 dB), reasonable loss (3.2 dB) and switching speed suitable for network restoration applications (140 µs, 2 ms settling time). Experimental characterization of the integrated cantilever waveguide resonant sensors shows high repeatability and accuracy, with a standard deviation as low as σ = 50 Hz (0.027%) for fresonant = 184.969 kHz. By performing focused-ion beam (FIB) milling on a sensor, a mass sensitivity of Δmf = 5.3 × 10−15 g Hz−1 was measured, which is competitive with other sensors. Resonant frequencies as high as f = 1.061 MHz (Qeffective = 159.7) have been measured in air with calculated sensitivity Δmf = 1.1 × 10−16 g Hz−1. Electrostatic tuning of the resonator sensors was also examined. The prospect of developing InP MEMS devices monolithically integrated with active optical components (lasers, LEDs, photodetectors) is discussed.


PACS

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

42.82.Cr Fabrication techniques; lithography, pattern transfer

42.82.Bq Design and performance testing of integrated-optical systems

42.82.Et Waveguides, couplers, and arrays

Subjects

Electronics and devices

Optics, quantum optics and lasers

Nanoscale science and low-D systems

Dates

Issue 4 (April 2006)

Received 31 October 2005, in final form 22 February 2006

Published 20 March 2006



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