| 摘要 |
<p>An optical switch includes: at least a light transmission portion 1, an optical path-changing portion 8 and an actuator portion 11. The light transmission portion 1 has a light reflecting plane 1a provided on at least one part of a plane facing the optical path-changing portion 8 to totally reflect light, and light transmission channels 2, 4, 5 having optical wave guiding bodies and being provided in at least three directions with the light reflecting plane 1a as a starting point. The optical path-changing portion 8 is provided in proximity to the light reflecting plane 1a of the light transmission portion 1 in a movable condition and has a light introduction member 9 made of a transparent material and a light reflection member 10 for totally reflecting light. The actuator portion 14 has a mechanism that is displaced by external signals and transmits the displacement to the optical path-changing portion 8. The optical path-changing portion 8 is made to contact or separated from the light reflecting plane 1a of the light transmission portion 1 by displacement of the actuator portion 14 in response to the external signals. An optical path where light 21 input to the light transmission channels 2 is totally reflected at the light reflecting plane 1a of the light transmission portion 1 and is transmitted to a specific light transmission channel 4 on an output side, is switched to another optical path where light 21 input to the light transmission channel 2 is taken to the light introduction member 9, and is totally reflected at the light reflection member 10 and is transmitted to a specific light transmission channel 5 on the output side. This optical switch allows low power consumption, makes possible high-speed response, size reduction and high integration, significant reduction of signal attenuation and, furthermore, switching per specific input light. <IMAGE></p> |
