Optical switch

• Main Authors: KOBAYASHI; MORIO, TERUI; HIROSHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.12.1982
• Subjects: DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

An optical switch comprising a substrate with a refractive index n1 which is transparent with respect to a guided light beam, an optical waveguide film with a refractive index n2 which is formed on the substrate, a low-refractive-index region with a refractive index n2' which is smaller by a predetermined value than the refractive index n2 formed at a predetermined location in the optical waveguide film, a movable dielectric chip with a refractive index n4 which is transparent with respect to the guided light beam and a relative distance of which is adjustable relative to a plane including the low-refractive-index region and a vicinal area of the optical waveguide film in the vicinity of the region, and an intermediate layer with a refractive index n3 disposed between the plane and the movable dielectric chip wherein the refractive indices n1, n2, n2', n3 and n4 have a relationship of n2>n2'>n4>(n1, n3), and effective refractive indices of the optical waveguide film and the low-refractive-index region are varied by changing a distance between the plane and the movable dielectric chip, so that guided light beam incident to the region is deflected. With such an arrangement, a deflection angle of 20 DEG or more is obtained, so that the optical switch is suitable for the integration of the optical switch.