1×2 optical switch for indoor LAN

• Main Authors: Bhuiyan, Moinul, Haga, Yoichi, Bhuiyan, Munira, Esashi, Masayoshi
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: TA1501 Applied optics. Lasers
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/33438/1/1x2_Optical_Switch_for_Indoor_LAN_IRIIE2013.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/33438/; http://www.iium.edu.my/irie/13/index.php/component/content/?view=featured
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Polymer optical fiber (POF) is suitable for indoor local area network (LAN), because of its flexibility and its ease of connection due to its relatively large core diameter. A 1×2 optical switch for indoor LAN using POF and a shape memory alloy (SMA) coil actuator with magnetic latches was successfully fabricated and tested. To achieve switching by the movement of a POF, large displacement is necessary because the core diameter is large (e.g., 0.486mm). A SMA coil actuator is used for large displacement and a magnetic latching system is used for fixing the position of the shifted POF. The insertion loss is 0.40 to 0.50dB and crosstalk is more than 50dB without index-matching oil. Switching speed is less than 0.5s at a driving current of 80mA. A cycling test was performed 1.4 million times. Polymer clad fiber optical (PCF) switch also fabricated and tasted.