OPTICAL FUSE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fuse adaptable to even an optical circuit made of a fine silicon thin line.SOLUTION: The optical fuse is constituted of an optical waveguide including: a core 101 made of a material having two-photon light absorption higher than linear light absorption to targeted light; and a clad 102. For example, the core 101 is made of silicon and the clad 102 is made of silicon oxide. Such an optical fuse is used to allow to limit light intensity which can be transmitted by the optical fuse. When the length of the optical fuse is denoted as L and an absorption coefficient in two-photon absorption in the core 101 is denoted as β, light intensity which can be transmitted by the optical fuse does not exceed 1/(βL). Thereby light intensity which can be transmitted by the optical fuse can be limited in a desired state if the length of the optical fuse is set so as to adapted to the wavelength of the targeted light.