BIOGRAPHY

Sub-Microsecond MEMS for Optical Switching and Filtering [BPN671]
High-throughput optical networks like those in modern Internet datacenters are pushing the
scaling limits of current optical switching technology. Although current MEMS-based switches can
provide port counts in the hundreds with moderate switching times, future datacenter designs will
require port counts in the thousands and even faster switching times to keep up with the growth in
data traffic within the center. We are developing an integrated photonics platform that will deliver
on-chip optical switching and tunable filtering that scales to high port counts with very fast
switching times. Our approach uses silicon photonic waveguides with integrated sub-microsecond MEMS
actuation for active control.