To realize a high performance optical subscriber network a route reconnect switch is desired which has bistability, polarization and wavelength independence and compactness. This paper proposes an electrocapillarity optical (ECO) switch, in which a micro-mirror formed by a mercury droplet is driven by electrocapillarity. This switch has a potential for use in bistable waveguide matrix switches, which are suitable for route reconnection in the optical subscriber network. A theoretical model is presented that the driving force of the electrocapillarity originates in an electrically induced gradient in the surface tension of the mercury-electrolyte interface where an electrical double layer is formed. The experimentally obtained relation between the flow velocity of a mercury droplet and the electric current in an electrocapillary system is well described by this model. A prototype of the ECO switch is made using a resin molded single-mode fiber with a slit sawed in it in which a electrocapillary system is made. Optical switching is demonstrated and possible improvements in switching performance are discussed.
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Makoto SATO, "Electrocapillarity Optical Switch" in IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications,
vol. E77-B, no. 2, pp. 197-203, February 1994, doi: .
Abstract: To realize a high performance optical subscriber network a route reconnect switch is desired which has bistability, polarization and wavelength independence and compactness. This paper proposes an electrocapillarity optical (ECO) switch, in which a micro-mirror formed by a mercury droplet is driven by electrocapillarity. This switch has a potential for use in bistable waveguide matrix switches, which are suitable for route reconnection in the optical subscriber network. A theoretical model is presented that the driving force of the electrocapillarity originates in an electrically induced gradient in the surface tension of the mercury-electrolyte interface where an electrical double layer is formed. The experimentally obtained relation between the flow velocity of a mercury droplet and the electric current in an electrocapillary system is well described by this model. A prototype of the ECO switch is made using a resin molded single-mode fiber with a slit sawed in it in which a electrocapillary system is made. Optical switching is demonstrated and possible improvements in switching performance are discussed.
URL: https://global.ieice.org/en_transactions/communications/10.1587/e77-b_2_197/_p
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@ARTICLE{e77-b_2_197,
author={Makoto SATO, },
journal={IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications},
title={Electrocapillarity Optical Switch},
year={1994},
volume={E77-B},
number={2},
pages={197-203},
abstract={To realize a high performance optical subscriber network a route reconnect switch is desired which has bistability, polarization and wavelength independence and compactness. This paper proposes an electrocapillarity optical (ECO) switch, in which a micro-mirror formed by a mercury droplet is driven by electrocapillarity. This switch has a potential for use in bistable waveguide matrix switches, which are suitable for route reconnection in the optical subscriber network. A theoretical model is presented that the driving force of the electrocapillarity originates in an electrically induced gradient in the surface tension of the mercury-electrolyte interface where an electrical double layer is formed. The experimentally obtained relation between the flow velocity of a mercury droplet and the electric current in an electrocapillary system is well described by this model. A prototype of the ECO switch is made using a resin molded single-mode fiber with a slit sawed in it in which a electrocapillary system is made. Optical switching is demonstrated and possible improvements in switching performance are discussed.},
keywords={},
doi={},
ISSN={},
month={February},}
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TY - JOUR
TI - Electrocapillarity Optical Switch
T2 - IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications
SP - 197
EP - 203
AU - Makoto SATO
PY - 1994
DO -
JO - IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications
SN -
VL - E77-B
IS - 2
JA - IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications
Y1 - February 1994
AB - To realize a high performance optical subscriber network a route reconnect switch is desired which has bistability, polarization and wavelength independence and compactness. This paper proposes an electrocapillarity optical (ECO) switch, in which a micro-mirror formed by a mercury droplet is driven by electrocapillarity. This switch has a potential for use in bistable waveguide matrix switches, which are suitable for route reconnection in the optical subscriber network. A theoretical model is presented that the driving force of the electrocapillarity originates in an electrically induced gradient in the surface tension of the mercury-electrolyte interface where an electrical double layer is formed. The experimentally obtained relation between the flow velocity of a mercury droplet and the electric current in an electrocapillary system is well described by this model. A prototype of the ECO switch is made using a resin molded single-mode fiber with a slit sawed in it in which a electrocapillary system is made. Optical switching is demonstrated and possible improvements in switching performance are discussed.
ER -