We developed a miniature and high-speed optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. It consists of an engine, driving circuit, A/D converter, and PC. It has a wavelength accuracy of 10 pm, scan rate of 1.3 ms, and dynamic range of 33 dB. The heart of the MEMS-OSA is the MEMS scanning mirror (12 x 2 mm) that measures the spectrum continuously and rapidly. The scanning mirror is actuated by electrostatic force derived from electrodes integrated in the mirror. The driving voltage is about 200 V. This paper reviews the principal of the MEMS-OSA, design, performance, and application in a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) distortion sensor. This OSA permits measurement of applied distortion with a scan rate of 1.3 ms and an accuracy of ±2 μ Strain. It can measure distortion up to about 100 Hz, like the speed of an earthquake.

Date Published: 9 June 2004
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 5502, Second European Workshop on Optical Fibre Sensors, (9 June 2004); doi: 10.1117/12.566512

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5502:
Second European Workshop on Optical Fibre Sensors
Jose Miguel Lopez-Higuera; Brian Culshaw, Editor(s)