Polatis patented technology enables the lowest loss, highest performance optical switches to solve the toughest optical networking challenges.




Many of the world’s leading optical component equipment vendors use Polatis switches in conjunction with JDSU manufacturing automation test equipment to test their products against. There isn't a higher bar. Polatis switches are consistently proven to be instrumentation level quality.

Polatis switches are deployed in the most demanding government and defense applications where mission-critical means the most secure, reliable and flexible connectivity possible. In some of the most extreme, rugged environments.

In the high definition video broadcast communications industry where every millisecond of delay and one-tenth of a dB matters, Polatis is the optical switch vendor of choice. Some of the largest broadcast companies, including CBS, use Polatis for deployments at the US Congress and at the White House.

Some of the leading wireline and wireless service providers and data center providers use us to solve a number of their challenges. From cost-effective protection switching, and quality monitoring to automated provisioning.

At the core of Polatis optical switching products is our patented DirectLight® beam-steering technology. DirectLight enables the highest performance and reliability characteristics of any optical switch without the drawbacks of traditional optical switch architectures.

DirectLight is a simple, elegant, and precise means for optical switching. At the core is a micro-actuation engine, a free-space optical switch comprising fiber collimators and piezoelectric actuators. The patented device integration enables beam-steering in a compact and scalable package.

Advantages

• Very simple optical path: with a very simple optical train, consisting of fiber and two collimators, DirectLight provides the lowest loss available (typical insertion loss of 0.4 dB) and extremely high optical performance (PDL, PMD, WDL, repeatability and more)
• Precision optical surfaces: DirectLight uses beam-steered optics, rather than adapting silicon-etched surfaces to direct the light path.
• Active calibration: with the ability to steer light over a large range with extreme precision, DirectLight eliminates the cost and complexity of precision sub-micron packaging.
• High force drive train: with 100x the stiffness of typical 3D MEMS devices, the Polatis system is far less susceptible to shock, vibration, or other environmental disturbances.
• High resolution positioning & control: with the ability to accurately position fibers even when no light is present, Polatis delivers the maximum power throughput and lowest loss available on the market.

To read more about the DirectLight beam-steering technology:

• OE Magazine, October 2004: Optimal Switching: the choice of actuation technology ultimately affects the optical performance of a tunable optical device
• NFOEC 2003 Paper: Beam-steering Optical Switch Fabric Utilizing Piezoelectric Actuation Technology