| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a highly reliable thermo-optical switching element and light beam switching method. SOLUTION: The device is equipped with a switching pipe line 60 constituted of a first and second chambers 61, 62, optical channels 21-24 interfaced with the first chamber 61, an actuating fluid 41 arranged in the switching pipe line 60 and having a refractive index matched to the optical channels, an optical path changing liquid 42 composed of a substance essentially unmixable with the actuating fluid 41, arranged inside the switching pipe line 60 and having a refractive index different from that of the actuating fluid 41, and thermal pressure generating devices (31, 32, 71, 72) connected to the switching pipe line 60 in a fluidly communicating state to move the optical path changing liquid 42 between the first and the second chambers 61, 62. The performance of the thermo-optical switching element is decided by the position of the optical path changing liquid 42 is the switching pipe line 60. |
