Design and simulation of MEMS optical switch using photonic bandgap crystal

This paper details the novel design of a non-blocking in-plane microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) optical cross connect (OXC) designed and simulated with a new class of material known as the photonic bandgap (PBG) crystal for integration of device technology in optical switching and telecommunication applications. Particularly, silicon is the material of choice being investigated for the PBG MEMS device designed to address the objectives of achieving high optical performance with strategic exploitation for potential applications. Based on the physical and mathematical theories, the PBG and MEMS structures are studied and modelled. Simulations were carried out based on the plane wave method (PWM) and the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method to explore the benefits of integrating photonic crystals with MEMS technology to improve the performance of OXC devices.