Patent ID: 6081634
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
An optical switch, comprising:a) a first optic fiber waveguide, having a propagation constant, where an information-bearings optical signal is applied to the first optic fiber waveguide;b) a second optic fiber waveguide in the same plane as the first optic fiber waveguide, having a propagation constant identical to the propagation constant of the first optic fiber waveguide, where the first optic fiber waveguide and the second optic fiber waveguide are close enough to exhibit evanescent wave coupling under non-interference conditions; andc) a third optical waveguide in the same plane as the first optic fiber waveguide and the second optic fiber waveguide, having a propagation constant identical to the propagation constant of the second optic fiber waveguide when an optical control signal is not applied to the third optical waveguide, where the third optical waveguide is closer to the second optic fiber waveguide than the second optic fiber waveguide is to the first optic fiber waveguide, and where the propagation constant of the third optical waveguide is different from the propagation constant of the second optic fiber waveguide when the optical control signal is applied to the third optical waveguide so that the information-bearing optical signal may be switched between the first optic fiber waveguide and the second optic fiber waveguide.