• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.28-31
• /
• 2018

In this paper, we have proposed and demonstrated a variable optical attenuator (VOA) incorporating a dual-fiber collimator and a bimetallic actuator. The optical attenuation between input and output single-mode fibers was tuned by tilting the angle of a reflection mirror fixed on the bimetal. The bimetal was heated or cooled by a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) and then moved the reflection mirror, due to bending and unreeling. The desired optical attenuation can be obtained through adjusting the electrical input into the TEC. The fabricated device showed 0.5 dB of insertion loss, 0.2 dB of maximum polarization-dependent loss, and 40 dB of dynamic range. The response time was measured to be about 5 s.