Nanomechanical Optical Fiber with Embedded Electrodes Actuated by Joule Heating

作者：Lian Zhenggang; Segura Martha^*; Podoliak Nina; Feng Xian; White Nicholas; Horak Peter

来源：Materials, 2014, 7(8): 5591-5602.

DOI：10.3390/ma7085591

• micro-structured optical fibers
• optical fiber sensors
• all-optical fiber devices
• optical switching

Nanomechanical optical fibers with metal electrodes embedded in the jacket were fabricated by a multi-material co-draw technique. At the center of the fibers, two glass cores suspended by thin membranes and surrounded by air form a directional coupler that is highly temperature-dependent. We demonstrate optical switching between the two fiber cores by Joule heating of the electrodes with as little as 0.4 W electrical power, thereby demonstrating an electrically actuated all-fiber microelectromechanical system (MEMS). Simulations show that the main mechanism for optical switching is the transverse thermal expansion of the fiber structure.

• 出版日期2014-8