Angular-precision enhancement in free-space micromachined optical switches

Free-space micromachined optical-switching technology has emerged as a promising means of building the large-scale optical crossconnects that will be needed in future optical-transport networks. Although this technology has rapidly demonstrated promising optical performance, its ability to expand to the required port-count has yet to be demonstrated. In particular, the tight angular tolerances imposed by free-space interconnection present a significant challenge. In this letter, we demonstrate integrated mechanical structures that are capable of achieving better than 0.1 degrees micromirror angular repeatability, thus opening the path to high-port-count optical crossconnects that live within cross-office optical-loss budgets.