micro electromechanical mirror (MEM)
A micromirror, Micro Electromechanical Mirror (MEM), is an electromechanically operating mirror system consisting of microscopic mirrors that switch the light beam in optical switches.
The micromirrors, with a diameter of about 10 µm, are mounted on special pivots and can be tilted in three axes. The tilting of the micromirrors is caused by electrostatic fields generated by the switching logics located below the micromirrors.
A single mirror forms an optical switch, an array of several hundred or thousand micromirrors is a micromirror system, Micro Optical Electromechanical Mirror System( MOEMS), which can form an optical crossconnect( OXC).
Such a mirror arrangement operates in a protective atmosphere, is suitable for space multiplexing, but its switching times are only in the microsecond range. In addition, there are propagation time differences between the different wavelengths.
In addition to this application in optical networks, micromirrors are also used in digital micromirror devices( DMD) in projectors and in automotive technology as sensors.