| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To realize an inexpensive and small-sized optical fiber switch which operates statically on a low voltage with low electric power consumption by connecting a liquid crystal cell made into the non-parallel plane construction in which liquid crystal molecules are oriented in one direction between two sheets of transparent electrodes to one end of a rod lens. CONSTITUTION:The wedge-shaped liquid crystal cell is formed by using a field effect type liquid crystal 8 having positive dielectric anisotropy. The orienting direction of the liquid crystal molecules is controlled by a voltage 10 impressed to said electrode via a transparent conductive film 7 to change the apparent refractive index of the liquid crystal cell, by which the incident angle of the ray incident on the rod lens 1 by passing through the wedge-shaped liquid crystal cell is changed. If optical fibers 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. are preliminarily attached to the end face of the rod lens 1, the changeover among the fibers 3-6 is made possible by changing the incident angle on the lens 1. The switching operates on the low voltage of about several volts with extremely less power consumption. |
