UC Berkeley

A new high-port-count wavelength-selective switch (WSS) has been realized using two cross-scanning one-axis analog micromirror arrays in a 4 - f optical system. The number of output ports is increased from N to N^2, where N is the maximum linear port count limited by optical diffraction. Using surface-micromachined micromirrors with hidden vertical comb drives, large scan angles (> +/- 5 degrees mechanical), low drive voltages (7 V), and high fill factors (> 96.25%) are achieved for both scanning mirrors. Experimental results for WSS are demonstrated using both two-dimensional (2-D) array of discrete collimators and monolithic 2-D collimator array. A fiber-to-fiber insertion loss ranging from 6 to 18 dB and a switching time of < 700 mu s have been achieved.