| 摘要 |
An optical switching device routes optical signals, completely within optical media, from an arbitrary number of N input optical fibers to a different set of M output optical fibers. The switching device uses a thermal microcantilever bimorph optical switch to redirect optical radiation emitted by a laser light source, or from the end of an optical fiber, to an input end of another optical fiber. The modulated optical radiation containing signals from the input fiber optic bundle or laser light source is collimated into parallel beams and projected in free space across the tops of an array of the microcantilever bimorph optical switches. When selected, a particular switch is activated, pops up, intercepts, and reflects the optical radiation down into a cavity and then into a short section of parallel waveguide. The radiation is directed into a transverse waveguide and then to an output optical coupler. This radiation is then coupled into the selected output optical fiber.
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