WAVEGUIDE OPTICAL SWITCH OF THERMALLY CONTROLLED SURFACE TENSION TYPE AND MATRIX TYPE OPTICAL SWITCH

摘要

PURPOSE: To provide a waveguide optical switch of a type to thermally control surface tension which executes static movement of a refractive index matching liquid and is easily formable to a smaller size. CONSTITUTION: This waveguide optical switch has slits 1 which are formed to cross the intersecting parts of optical waveguides, the refractive index matching liquid 2 which is injected in an adequate amt. into these slits 1 and heaters 3 which are capable of heating the slits 1 by dividing the slits to plural regions. A gradient in the longitudinal direction of the slits l is applied to the surface tension of the refractive index matching liquid 2 by dividing the slits 1 to the plural regions and heating the slits. The refractive index matching liquid 2 is moved in the slits by this gradient in the surface tension. The slits 1 may be provided with points narrowed in the width in their central parts. The cap side substrate of the slits 1 or the optical waveguide side substrate may be provided with slits for bypass moving of the refractive index matching liquid 2. The matrix type optical switches are formable as well by embedding the optical waveguides in a grid form on the optical waveguide substrate and constituting switching elements in the respective intersected parts thereof.