MEMS variable optical attenuator using low driving voltage for DWDM systems

A silicon microelectromechanical system (MEMS) variable optical attenuator with fibre connection is reported. The device requires only 8 V driving voltage. It has only 1.5 dB insertion loss, but 45 dB dynamic range, 37 ms response time, and 0.9 dB wavelength dependence loss over the C-band (1528–1561 nm).