Glass wave guide element and method of manufacturing the same

摘要

A glass wave guide element, which is small in size and amenable to integration and mass-production, and a method of manufacturing the glass wave guide element are provided. The glass wave guide element includes a core having a diffraction grating formed on an under cladding, an over cladding covering the core and a heater for changing the Bragg wavelength of the diffraction grating, the heater being arranged on the over cladding. The core and a central portion of both claddings in a surrounding portion around the core are formed in a state of being continuously separated along a longitudinal direction of the core from the substrate through a gap, and the core and the surrounding portion around the core are formed in a state of being spatially intermittently separated in a width direction of the core from a surrounding portion of both claddings through a gap. The wave guide is formed by etching to form gaps spaced intermittently along both sides of a core with under cladding and over cladding, and then removing a patterned silicon film from underneath the core.