| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To obtain the self-holding type optical switch which is used to switch an optical signal. CONSTITUTION:The optical switch is equipped with an optical waveguide substrate 12 which has an optical waveguide 11, a groove part 13 which is formed in a direction crossing the optical waveguide 11 at right angles, a glass piece 15 which is freely slidable in the groove part 13 and provided with a metallic mirror 14 crossing the optical waveguide 11 at right angles, a liquid metal holding groove 17 which is formed opposite across the optical waveguide 11 and holds liquid metal (mercury) 16 inside, electrodes 18A and 18B, and 19A and 19B which supply currents to the liquid metal 16 in the liquid metal holding groove 17, and a magnetic field application part which applies a magnetic field at right angles to the flowing direction of the currents. The currents are supplied to the liquid metal 16 to apply the magnetic field at right angles to the flowing direction of the currents, a Lorentz's force is made to operate on the liquid metal 16, which is moved in the liquid holding groove to cut off the optical waveguide 11 by the metallic mirror 14 provided at part of the glass piece; and input light which has passed through the optical waveguide is reflected to provide the operation of the self-holding type optical switch. |
