Piezoelectric optical switch

A fiber-optic switch for directing a beam emerging from an input optical fiber to a selected output optical fiber, said fiber-optic switch comprising:

• a first array of mirror elements, each of said mirror elements including
• a steerable mirror having a variable pitch angle and a variable yaw angle,
• a piezoelectric strip having a first arm extending in a first direction and a second arm extending in a second direction different from said first direction, said second arm being coupled to said steerable mirror;
• a pitch-electrode in electrical communication with said first arm for deflecting said first arm;
• and
• a yaw-electrode in electrical communication with said second arm for deflecting said second arm.

A control system for controlling an orientation of a mirror in a fiber-optic switch, said control system comprising:

• a position sensor disposed to intercept a beam reflected from said mirror, said position sensor providing an error signal indicative of a deviation of said orientation from a desired orientation;
• a controller in communication with said position sensor for receiving said error signal and generating, in response to said error signals, control signals for correcting said orientation of said mirror;
• and
• a mirror-actuator coupled to said mirror and in communication with said controller, said mirror-actuator changing said orientation of said mirror in response to said control signals.

A fiber-optic mirror array comprising:

• a substrate;
• a plurality of piezoelectric actuators supported by said substrate;
• and
• a plurality of mirrors each coupled to a corresponding piezoelectric actuator from said plurality of piezoelectric actuators to provide relative motion between each mirror and said substrate in response to a piezoelectric drive signal to said corresponding piezoelectric actuator.

A fiber-optic switch comprising:

• an input face positioned to receive a plurality of input optical fibers;
• a first mirror array positioned to selectively redirect a light beam emerging from an input optical fiber from said plurality of input optical fibers;
• a second mirror array positioned to selectively redirect said light beam redirected by said first mirror array;
• and
• an output face positioned to couple, to an output optical fiber from a plurality of output optical fibers, said light beam redirected by said second mirror array,
• wherein said first and second mirror arrays each comprise
• a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, and
• a plurality of mirrors each coupled to a corresponding piezoelectric actuator from said plurality of piezoelectric actuators.

A method for fabricating a fiber-optic mirror array including a substrate, a plurality of piezoelectric actuators supported by the substrate, and a plurality of mirrors each coupled to a different one of the plurality of piezoelectric actuators to provide relative motion between each mirror and the substrate in response to a piezoelectric drive signal to the corresponding piezoelectric actuator, the method comprising:

• forming a patterned release layer over the substrate to define a plurality of target areas;
• forming a patterned mirror layer over the release layer;
• forming at least one patterned layer of piezoelectric material over the substrate to separately cover at least a portion of the release layer at each target area;
• and
• removing the release layer to cause the patterned mirror layer to define the plurality of mirrors and cause the at least one patterned layer of piezoelectric material to define the plurality of piezoelectric actuators.