| 摘要 |
<p>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small and inexpensive optical attenuator that can be driven by low voltage.SOLUTION: An optical attenuator 1 includes: a first optical fiber collimator 20a holding a first optical fiber 23a; a second optical fiber collimator 20b holding a second optical fiber 23b; and a light deflection part 10. The first and second optical fiber collimators are arranged facing one another. The light deflection part 10 is arranged between the first and second optical fiber collimators, and includes electro-optical elements (10a, 10b) formed by holding an electrooptic material 12 between electrodes 11 opposite to a direction orthogonal to an optical axis 50. The electro-optical element of the light deflection part causes refractive index distribution associated with a space charge restriction state in the electrooptic material when an external drive circuit applies a voltage between the electrodes facing one another. An optical path of light incident from a front side into the electrooptic material is deflected in an angle direction according to the intensity of an electric field generated by the applied voltage, thereby a coupling loss of light entering the second optical fiber changed.</p> |
