| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly and efficiently perform the switching of an optical switch. SOLUTION: An optical switch body 12 is constituted of an input signal optical waveguide 21, a first output signal optical waveguide 22 and a second output signal optical waveguide 23 like a Y branch. A photochromic material 27 is arranged on the input end of the first output signal optical waveguide 22. Short-wavelength control light or long-wavelength control light is passed through the photochromic material 27 to change the refractive index of the photochromic material 27 to n1 or n2 by isomerization reaction. The refractive index of the second output signal optical waveguide 23 is set to a refractive index nb which is an approximate medium between the maximum refractive index n1 of the photochromic material 127 and the refractive index na of the input signal optical waveguide 21. The short-wavelength control light or the long-wavelength control light is selectively made incident on the input signal optical waveguide 21 by Y-type couplers 13, 14. Since each control light is made incident on the photochromic material 27 by using the input signal optical waveguide 21, the isomerization reaction can be efficiently generated by optical power of small quantity. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT
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