MODELING OPTICAL MEM SYSTEMS

Optical MEMS have the potential to drastically reduce the size and cost of digital communications and computation systems. However, the multiple technologies (optical, electrical, and mechanical) utilized in optical MEM systems has led to new challenges in the creation of computer aided design tools for these systems. This paper presents a system level opto-electro-mechanical CAD tool, Chatoyant, developed to meet the needs of mixed technology systems designers. We introduce signal models and analysis techniques that enable our tool to support optical MEMS design. We demonstrate these results with the analysis of two mixed-signal systems: a full opto-electronic communications link and an actively aligned optical MEM beam steering system.