Patent ID: 6304697
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
An optical device, comprising:a first optical waveguide disposed on a substrate having a thermo-optical effect;a second optical waveguide that, at its one end, has part which is disposed close to and in parallel with part of said first optical waveguide by a predetermined length on said substrate, and that, at the parallel part, is evanescent-coupled with light propagating through said first optical waveguide;light reflecting means that is disposed to the end faces, at said one end, of said first and second optical waveguides and that totally reflects light emitted from said end faces; anddistribution ratio altering means that heats around the evanescent-coupled parallel part of said first and second optical waveguides to alter a distribution ratio of lights emitted from the other ends of said first and second optical waveguides to which incident light supplied to said first optical waveguide at said other end is distributed,wherein said first and second optical waveguides have said parallel part at said one end with a length that is half of a perfect coupling length and are disposed on said substrate so that the end of said parallel part is aligned to the end face of said substrate.