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Potentiometer

Potentiometer

Voltage and current measurements using a standard voltmeter and ammeter alter the circuit being measured either by drawing or resisting the current flow, which introduces uncertainties in the measurements. Null measurements balance the voltages so that no current flows through the measuring device and, therefore, no alterations occur in the measured circuit.
Suppose the emf of a battery needs to be measured. If the battery is directly connected to a standard voltmeter, the measured quantity is...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Free-form Light Actuators — Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale

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Published on: May 25, 2016

Linear variable optical attenuators with shaped-finger comb-drive actuators.

|April 1, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A new design method for variable optical attenuators (VOAs) achieves highly linear attenuation-voltage characteristics. This analytical approach optimizes microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) VOAs for precise optical power control.

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Last Updated: Dec 25, 2025

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Area of Science:

Photonics and Optical Engineering
Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)
Device Design and Simulation

Background:

Variable optical attenuators (VOAs) are crucial for optical networks.
Existing VOA designs often struggle with linear attenuation-voltage characteristics.
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) offer a platform for compact and efficient optical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose an analytical design method for planar MEMS VOAs.
To achieve linear attenuation-voltage characteristics in VOAs.
To verify the design method using finite element analysis.

Main Methods:

Developed an analytical method to calculate actuator finger shapes for comb-drive actuators.
Integrated optical models, electromechanical behavior, and linearity objectives into a differential equation.
Utilized three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) for design validation and approximation assessment.

Main Results:

The proposed design method yields highly linear attenuation-voltage characteristics.
Achieved a linearity factor of 1.34% deviation from the ideal case for both shutter and reflection types.
Optimized designs demonstrated effectiveness under 1-dB insertion loss and 50-dB maximum attenuation conditions.

Conclusions:

The analytical design method is effective for creating linear MEMS VOAs.
FEA confirms the validity of the approximations used in the design.
The method provides a pathway for improved VOA performance in optical systems.