Optical Fiber Switch Based on Carbon Nanotube Actuation
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Optical Fiber Switch Based on Carbon Nanotube Actuation Leonard S. Fifield, Anne M. Zipperer, Ray H. Baughman1, Larry R. Dalton Department of Chemistry University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195-1700, U.S.A. 1 NanoTech Institute University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX 75083-0688, U.S.A. ABSTRACT Carbon nanotubes represent an attractive material option for many applications, including electromechanical actuators. Though single wall carbon nanotubes exhibit advantageous actuator properties, such as large force generation and low operating voltage, functional devices based on carbon nanotube actuation have not yet been reported. Here we describe the fabrication and performance evaluation of a 1x2 electromechanical optical fiber switch based on a carbon nanotube actuator. The side-to-side movement of the input fiber of the device between two output fibers is a result of the actuation of an assembly of carbon nanotubes that have been attached to the fiber. The intensities of optical signals exiting the two outputs are monitored, and switching times down to 30 ms are demonstrated. Initial results indicate that mechanical optical switches using carbon nanotube actuators may be preferable to switches using alternative technologies due to the inexpensive assembly, low operating power, potentially high switching speeds, and potentially low insertion loss of the carbon nanotube based devices. INTRODUCTION The outstanding potential of carbon nanotubes (NTs) as a functional material for a variety of useful devices and structures has been discussed in recent reviews [1-3]. The inherently large surface area, high modulus, and excellent thermal and electrical conductivities of NTs make them ideal candidates for use in energy storage and energy conversion applications. It was predicted by Baughman in 1996 [4] that a conjugated carbon structure, such as that comprising
Figure 1: Scheme of carbon nanotube actuator 1x2 optical fiber switch concept.
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single wall carbon nanotubes, would experience dimensional change upon charge injection. Baughman and coworkers first demonstrated this actuation in 1999 [5] using macroscopic filtration assembled mats of single wall carbon nanotubes. Progress has been made in understanding the nature of the charge-induced dimensional change of NTs [6-8], and efforts have even been made to measure the actuation of individual carbon nanotubes [9,10]. To our knowledge there have been no reports to date of functional devices based on the charge induced dimensional change of carbon nanotubes. The increasing use and complexity of optical communication networks amplify the need for optical component interconnections. System monitoring, bypassing, and reconfiguration are examples of a wide variety of network functions that are facilitated by switches that can steer optical signals to multiple paths. These switches need to be inexpensive, have low insertion loss and cross talk, low operating power, and long cycle lifetimes. For many applications, the switching speed of the device is less cr
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