| This dissertation describes the principle, design, fabrication and characterization of a new type of latching micro-magnetic optical switches. The basic optical switch has two stable states wherein an optical signal from the input port can be routed to either one of the two output ports. The key component of the optical switch is a cantilever made of soft magnetic material with a reflective surface. The optical switch is bi-stable because the cantilever has a tendency to align with the external magnetic field, and the torque to align the cantilever can be di-directional depending on the angle between the cantilever and the magnetic field. Switching between the two stable states is accomplished by momentarily changing the direction and/or the magnitude of the cantilever's magnetization by passing a short current pulse through a planar coil underneath the cantilever. In either of its stable states, the cantilever is held in its position by the combined influence of permanent external magnetic field and other mechanical forces, such as a physical stop or a mechanical torques produced by torsion flexures supporting the cantilever. Large angle deflection and bi-stable latching operation have been demonstrated. Characterization has been performed for both electrical and optical switching performances. The demonstrated optical switch can be an interesting candidate for potential applications in optical communication networks. |
