Avanex Corporation

Paul Blair

Mark Begbie

Jean Podlecki

Geradus Johannes Burger

A hybrid optical component is described incorporating a planar lightguide circuit (PLC) chiphaving at least two waveguides provided thereon which are separated by a trench, and a MEMS chipattached to the PLC chip and incorporating a MEMS element displaceable relative to the trench so as to control the passage of an optical signal between the two waveguides. A capis sealingly engaged with the PLC chipto form a housing therewith which houses said MEMS chiphermetically therein. The component may act as a variable optical attenuator (VOA) device in which a MEMS shutter attenuates an optical signal passing between two waveguides, or may be an optical switch in which a MEMS mirror is used to switch an optical signal from a first waveguide between at least two other waveguides which intersect with the first waveguide at the trench.

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Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Paul Blair