7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Applications of Optical MEMS for Space Missions

Mathilde Gobet, Peter Herbst, Paolo Baroni, Cornel Marxer

Sercalo Microtechnology Ltd.Rue des Draizes 5

CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Outline

• Application overview

• Low port count switch

• 50x50 optical MEMS switch matrix

• 3D MEMS mirror

• Conclusions

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Application overview (1)1) Low port count fiber optical switches

• Reconfiguration in experimental satellites

•

Redundancy switching in telecommunication satellites

• Optical sensors in satellites

• Delta Space Qualification

2) Large port count (50x50) optical switch matrix• Large scale optical cross connects

• Switching in telecommunication satellites

•

On board signal routing and reconfiguration in telecommunication satellites

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Application overview (2)3) MEMS mirror

• Pointing and tracking applications:

- fixed position

- telecommunications

• Scanning applications:

- LIDAR

-

3D vision system with time of flight measurement

- In satellite structural measurement

- Mars rover

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Low port count fiber optical switches

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Low port count fiber optical switches2x2 optical switchON/OFF switch

inherently no feedback required

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Applications: Redundancy switching• Line protection

• By-pass switching

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Applications: Optical sensors• Measurement ressource sharing

• Remote Network Monitoring

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Large port count (50x50) MEMS switch matrix

Optical fibrearray

MEMS micro-mirror arra

y

Macro mirror

ESA project ITT AO/1-4783/05/NL/PM

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

50x50 Optical MEMS Switch MatricesESA project ITT AO/1-4783/05/NL/PM

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde GobetCompetence in fiberoptic MEMSCompetence in fiberoptic MEMS

50x50 Optical MEMS Switch MatricesMicro-mirror array

No feedback

“easy”

calibration

“simple”

look-up table

No feedback required

Max. tilt angle α

/ actuation voltage ±3.1 °

/ 130V

Max. tilt angle +β

/ actuation voltage (Beta Electrode) +2.0 °

/ 88V

Max. tilt angle -β

/ actuation voltage (Two Alpha Electrodes) -2.0°

/ 69V

Resonance frequency > 490 Hz (13µm)

LE2

WE2

LE1

WE1

WTB

1

LTB1

WTB2

LTB2

Shielding

Mirror

BetaElectrode

AlphaElectrode

LA

LC2

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

50x50 Optical MEMS Switch MatricesESA project ITT AO/1-4783/05/NL/PM

Courtesy of A. Le Kernec and M. Sotom, Thales Alenia Space

Insertion losses

•

Average IL : ~ 5 dB

•

Maximum IL : 6 dB

Polarization dependent

insertion losses

•

Max. ∆IL : 0.17 dB

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde GobetCompetence in fiberoptic MEMSCompetence in fiberoptic MEMS

•

Satellite telecom payload with flexible beam-to-beam connectivity

–

optical generation & distribution of high-frequency LO’s (> 10 GHz)

–

optical frequency mixing and down-conversion, e.g. from Ka (30GHz) to C (4GHz)

–

optical cross-connection of µ-wave signals through MOEMS switches

LNA EOM

O/EO/EO/E

Optical X-Connect

O/EO/EO/E

HPA

Rx section Tx section

Rx antennas Tx antennas

Optical LO ’s

LNA : low-noise amplifierEOM : electro-optical mixerHPA : high-power amplifierLO:

Local Oscillator

Application: Large-Scale Optical Cross Connect

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Vertical comb drive MEMS mirror

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

3D MEMS mirror

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

-120 -80 -40 0 40 80 120

Applied voltage [V]

Tilt

angl

e [°

]

x directiony direction

1 mm x 1 mm

fresx = 320 Hz fresy = 380 Hz

2000 g shock

test

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

3D MEMS mirror

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

-120 -80 -40 0 40 80 120

Applied voltage [V]

Tilt

angl

e [°

]

x directiony direction

1.4 mm x 1.6 mm

fresx = 400 Hz fresy = 500 Hz

2000 g shock

test

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

Sercalo MEMS μMirror

Applications: Scanning, tracking and pointing

• No feedback loop• 2 independent axis• Continuous tilting• Single mirror or array

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde Gobet

• Switching time < 50 ms• Durability: no wear

Applications: Tunable filter, miniature spectrometer

Optics+

Sercalo MEMS μMirror

λ1 λ2 λ3 λ4 λi

λi selectionwith software

Optics+

Sercalo MEMS μMirror

Optics+

Sercalo MEMS μMirror

λ1 λ2 λ3 λ4 λi

λi selectionwith software

7th ESA Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space 13-17 Sept. 2010Optical MEMS for space applications

Competence in fiberoptic MEMS

Mathilde GobetCompetence in fiberoptic MEMSCompetence in fiberoptic MEMS

Conclusions

•

Large number of spatial applications for commercialized low port count switch, large optical switch matrix and tilt mirror• Less weight and size -> important for satellite integration•

No light through the switch necessary for maintaining the

mirror position•

Mirror tilt angle and resonant frequency can be adapted

to customer’s needs