Design Of Novel Optical Attenuator Based On Microfluidic Technology

All Optical Networks (AON) make full use of potentially broad bandwidth of optical fiber,andwill become the key technologies of information networks. Variable optical attenuator (VOA)which can power in each channel of All Optical Networks is a very good balance inthe implementation, flat gain, dynamic gain balance and balance of transmission power. At presentthe familiar variable optical attenuator at home and abroad include mechanical VOA, MEMS-BasedVOA, magneto-optic VOA, waveguide VOA and liquid crystal VOA, all of them have its owndefects. So it’s a urgent thing to develop a new type variable optical attenuator.In this paper, a species of novel VOA is proposed by taking liquid as an optical device’sMOEMS. The microfluidic position in this attenuator is controlled by the different drive device toimplement the adjustable attenuator of the light energy. This structure has several advantages suchas the small size and the large attenuation range, which make the control and integration easily.According to the research and development status of variable optical attenuator, and based onmicrofluidic technology, the electromagnetic driven microfluidic optical attenuator structure andthe pressure driven microfluidic optical attenuator structure were designed.Then, the writerintroduces the system structure, working principle and production technology of the VOA.Finally,through simulating the device flow field,we get the the system response time, relationshipbetween driving pressure and fluid position and attenuation.The results indicate that When thelength of micro-channel is3500μm, the attenuation regulation required pressure is in the range of0~22Kpa, and the system has better controllability;When the length,width and height ofmicro-channel is3500μm,5μm and400μm,the system response time is about10ms and its dynamicattenuating range is0~50dB.