A large-scale 3D fiber cross-connect system is disclosed. The system uses modularized and stackable beam steering units to build input and output arrays that can be expanded to large-scale system of 10001000 ports or more. The disclosure provides a two-mirror configuration that minimizes size of the modular beam steering units. With one mirror being fixed on the propagation path of the optical beam and another mirror steerable in a 2D dimension, an any-to-any switching of the large-scale system may be built by stacking the beam steering units over an appropriate distance.

In gas analyzing apparatuses, interference noises should be reduced. A gas analyzing apparatus for analyzing component included in measuring object gas, including: a light emitting unit to irradiate laser light to the measuring object gas; a light receiving unit to receive the laser light having passed through the measuring object gas; an actuating unit to change an optical path length of the laser light by moving at least one optical element that is arranged in a light path where the laser light is passing; and a calculating unit to calculate concentration of the measuring object gas, based on signals detected by the light receiving unit in two states where the optical element is at different positions by n/2 times the wavelength of the laser light (where, n is integer) is provided.

In gas analyzing apparatuses, interference noises should be reduced. A gas analyzing apparatus for analyzing component included in measuring object gas, including: a light emitting unit to irradiate laser light to the measuring object gas; a light receiving unit to receive the laser light having passed through the measuring object gas; an actuating unit to change an optical path length of the laser light by moving at least one optical element that is arranged in a light path where the laser light is passing; and a calculating unit to calculate concentration of the measuring object gas, based on signals detected by the light receiving unit in two states where the optical element is at different positions by n/2 times the wavelength of the laser light (where, n is integer) is provided.

Apparatus and method for optical spectroscopy and/or imaging with a variable fiber offset. An optical probe includes one or more first optical fibers, one or more second optical fibers, and one or more actuators. The first optical fibers are to deliver light to an object. The second optical fibers are to collect light emitted from the object. The actuators are configured to change a distance between the first optical fibers and the second optical fiber while the object is being illuminated by light emitted from the first optical fibers.

A micromirror unit, comprising a mirror and a drive apparatus. A side of the mirror facing the drive apparatus is provided with a support post. The drive apparatus comprises a supporting frame, an rotation block fixedly connected to the supporting post, and a plurality of piezoelectric drive arms provided along a peripheral edge of the rotation block. An end of each of the piezoelectric drive arms is fixed on the supporting frame, and another end thereof is connected to the rotation block via an elastic member provided between the other end and the rotation block. The piezoelectric drive arm comprises an upper electrode, a lower electrode, and a piezoelectric material clamped between the upper electrode and the lower electrode.

An apparatus arranged for deflecting an optical component for alignment purposes of the optical component with a further optical component, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of adjacently placed elongate carriers, extending mutually parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction, wherein two adjacently placed elongate carriers have a spacing between them for receiving a first optical component such that the received optical component rests against two adjacently placed elongate carriers, wherein the two elongate carriers have slopes such that the spacing between the two adjacently placed elongate carriers is smaller at a bottom side compared to the spacing at a top side of the carriers, wherein the carriers comprise piezoelectric material configured to deflect the carriers in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by actuating the piezoelectric material.

A compact micro electrical mechanical actuated ring-resonator includes a bus waveguide disposed on a platform; a ring resonator disposed on the platform, including at least a first optical coupler, wherein the ring resonator is optically coupled with the bus waveguide; and a selective waveguide disposed on a piezoelectric cantilever mounted in a trench defined in the platform, wherein the selective waveguide includes a second optical coupler and is controllable to selectively adjust a coupling ratio between the first optical coupler with the second optical coupler by physically changing a distance between the first optical coupler and the second optical coupler.

Low-loss terahertz switches with nanometer resolution positioning and feedback are disclosed. In one embodiment, the switch uses a U-bend waveguide surrounded by an electromagnetic band gap and is implemented in a fully metal-machined fashion in combination with a piezo-electric motor and an optical linear encoder. In another embodiment, the switch comprises a MEMS device.

An optical fiber scanner including: an elongated optical fiber that guides light; a vibration transferring member that has a through-hole through which the optical fiber is made to pass; piezoelectric elements bonded to the outer surfaces of the vibration transferring member and that perform stretching vibrations in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber when alternating voltages at a predetermined frequency are applied thereto, thus causing the optical fiber to generate bending vibrations in directions intersecting the longitudinal direction; and a fixing part that fixes the vibration transferring member. The vibration transferring member is provided with: holding surfaces formed of flat surfaces to which the piezoelectric elements are bonded; and contact surfaces formed of flat surfaces parallel to the holding surfaces, that are provided at least partially on the inner surfaces of the through-hole, and with which the outer surface of the optical fiber is brought into contact.

An optical fiber scanner is provided with an illumination optical fiber that guides light and emits the light from a distal end thereof; a plurality of piezoelectric elements that are secured on a side surface of the illumination optical fiber, that have polarizations in radial directions of the illumination optical fiber, and that vibrate the illumination optical fiber when an alternating voltage is applied in the polarization directions; and a vibration suppressing part that suppresses vibrations in the radial directions generated at a position of the illumination optical fiber away from the piezoelectric elements toward a base end.