MEMS optical switches and systems

With the rising demand for information processing, storage, and transfer in all fields of engineering today, reliable high-speed broadband communication systems have become indispensable. The so-called “information superhighway” is coming into its own as a requirement, not a luxury, for modern-day engineered systems. This concept can be realized by improvements in the techniques used for radio frequency (RF) technology, which is the common platform of WiFi, Bluetooth, and all other communications standards, wireless or wired. A powerful method for speeding up communications, enhancing security, and improving performance is the development of an all-optical infrastructure for RF. To meet these needs, high-performance optical components, subsystems, and systems are necessary as they hold promise for eliminating current communication bottlenecks, thanks to the properties that stem from the parallelism and reliability of processing inherent in optical systems. Among optical components, the optical switch is a key device, as it plays multiple roles in control, monitoring, protection, management, and elsewhere in RF communication networks.