Abstract
In this paper, we present the design, fabrication, and characterization of
a new micromechanical grating optical modulator. By applying a dc driving
voltage to the electrostatic comb-drive actuator, the grating beams can be
reconfigured. Experimental tests reveal that at a voltage of 45 V, the
grating period can be altered from the initial 10 to 20 $\mu$m, and correspondingly, the ${\pm}$first-order diffraction angle is changed from 3.86$^{\circ}$ to 1.94$^{\circ}$ for a normally incident laser beam (wavelength, 632.8 nm). While
the measured modulation of optical intensity can be as large as 30.6 dB for ${+}$first order and ${-}19.1$ dB for ${+}$second order. The adoption of silicon-on-glass process for
fabricating this grating optical modulator is simple, high yield, and with a
very smooth optical surface. The modulator has a first-level resonant
frequency of 21.539 kHz, enabling a fast-enough manipulation. When operated
in a digital mode, the proposed grating optical modulator can be used as an
optical switch and an analog mode for a variable optical attenuator. Both
show potential applications for the future optical network.
© 2009 IEEE
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