Telecentric lens for 1-D MEMS based all optical switch
Network Photonics Inc. (NPI) raised over $139 million in venture capital to develop the all-optical switch for metro access networks. JENOPTIK Optical System delivered 250+ optical lens assemblies that served as the heart of the company's flagship product, CrossWave between years 2000 and 2003.
The technology was based on a colomating lens and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) using tilting mirrors to direct light signals to the appropriate ports. The company's CrossWave system included a prism-like filter that split a WDM stream into component wavelengths which allows using just one row of mirrors with one mirror per wavelength. The result was a cheaper, easier to control optical switch.
Tight tolerance requirements
The optical lens assembly, designed by Optical Research Associates (ORA), was integral to the performance of the switch that utilized a 1 x 96 mems mirror device to switch signal from one optical path to another.
The lens was challenging in that it was required to meet several tight tolerance criteria.
- 96 wavelength capacity (input & output)
- Athermalized for Bellcore ΔT ( - 40°C >> 70°C)
- Constant magnification with minimum ITU grid mismatch
Acceptance test procedure
Qualification testing of magnification and wavefront error for each lens required compensating test result with atmospheric conditions of West Palm Beach, FL and Boulder, CO.
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