THERMO-OPTICAL SWITCH PROVIDED WITH A LATERALLY SHIFTED ELEMENT

摘要

The invention pertains to a thermo-optical switch comprising at least one input channel, one output channel, one switching channel, and one heating element, where for at least part of the cross sections of the switch the position of the heating element has been selected such that the difference in effective refractive index, in the switched state, between two of the output channels in said cross section is at least 80 % of the maximally attainable difference. As a result, the load on the switches can be reduced substantially, increasing their lifespan.