Polymeric variable optical attenuator array

Summary form only given. Optical components with increased functionality, integration, and performance are necessary to meet the expanding needs of growing metro area networks. In particular, telecommunication network nodes, which are already densely packed with components and monitoring equipment, must be able to accommodate and handle increasing numbers of channels that undergo amplification, multiplexing, add-drop, and channel balancing operations.To this end, we demonstrate a waveguide-based polymeric variable optical attenuator with over 30 dB of dynamic attenuation range that consumes less than 10 mW/port of drive power at full 30 dB attenuation. The device is based on a polymer waveguide design that also provides low insertion loss, small footprint, electronically controllable attenuation, and low insertion loss.