Analysis And Optimization On An Optical Switch Based On Micro-fluidic Control Technology

With the improving of social information level and rapid growth of network capacity, the light-electricity-light switching manner has been a bottleneck to current optical networks. The direction of future optical-fiber network is all-optical network. OXC is the core of the all-optical network. So as the key device of OXC, optical switch will be the hotspot to be researched in current optical network area. In optical networks, the main role of optical switch is to reserve backup channels for networks by automatic protection switching function when network congestion occurs and to keep system reliable and to monitor performance of network and devices. And common optical switches are mechanical optical switches, thermo-optic switches, electro-optic switches, acousto-optic switches and so on.This paper presents a kind of waveguide-type optical switch based on micro-fluidic technology, which combines the modern micro-fluidic technology with the micro-photoelectron technology, can change the beam path by changing the structure of micro-fluidic chip. Compared with MEMS optical switches, micro-fluidic optical switches are advanced in the following areas:1. no mechanical loss2. more switching times3. better repeatability and higher stability4. simpler structure and smaller size5. easily integratedThe main contents of this paper are as following:(1)Analysis the conditions that the light travels in film waveguide and slab waveguide; get the approximation solution of the electromagnetic problem of slab waveguide by Marcatili method; analysis the distributing characteristic of transverse electromagnetic of slab waveguide.(2)Study the applications of finite element method in solving optical waveguide problems and common steps of finite element method and basic thought of unit divide and generation.(3)Present a kind of optical switch based on micro-fluidic technology, and then produce its working principle; simulate the condition that light travels in waveguide layer by Comsol; study the influence upon transmission performance when the refractive index of waveguide changes. (4)Study the influence upon transmission performance by tubule's deflection angle and the lateral shift of the y-direction waveguide layer; presents a new skewed-crossing structure by thinking about the Goos-Haenchen theory and then study its transmission performance.Finite element method plays a great role in solving optical waveguide problems. The simulation result shows that, insertion loss is the minimum when refractive index of the waveguide is 1.5. To reduce the insertion loss, we can make the angle between x-direction waveguide layer and y-direction waveguide layer to be 77.5 degree. We can reduce the insertion loss by placing the angle between x-direction and y-direction of the waveguide layer at 77.5 degrees. Due to using micro-fluidic technology, this kind of optical switch has small volume and easily to be integrated and constitute high-capacity switching matrix. Also it has good repeatability, simple structure and low production cost. In the switching speed, using electronically manner to control the optical switch is fast and stable. So it is of great significance and research value. As a result, micro-fluidic technology helps manufacture large-scale switching matrices with optical switches that have small size, high repeatability and low cost, so the micro-fluidic optical switches could be attractive and valuable to researchers.