Miniaturized ferrofluid actuated single mode fiber variable optical attenuator (VOA)

Dudus̈, Anna and Blue, Robert and Uttamchandani, Deepak; (2014) Miniaturized ferrofluid actuated single mode fiber variable optical attenuator (VOA). In: International Conference on Optical MEMS and Nanophotonics. IEEE, GBR, pp. 123-124. ISBN 9780992841423 (https://doi.org/10.1109/OMN.2014.6924551)

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Abstract

We report a miniature variable optical attenuator employing a ferrofluid actuator/shutter combination located between lensed optical fibers. The VOA consists of an opaque, undiluted ferrofluid plug actuator inside a microfluidic channel. The ferrofluid plug position is translated by a variable magnetic field generated from a miniature electromagnet. The ferrofluid plug actuator in turn displaces a second oil-diluted ferrofluid plug acting as an optical shutter. The position of the shutter controls the optical power coupled between the input and output fibers.

ORCID iDs

Dudus̈, Anna, Blue, Robert ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8598-5210 and Uttamchandani, Deepak ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2362-4874;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)