Patent ID: 6445845
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical switch comprising:a first and second optical waveguide that cross each other; and a slit including a first and a second side wall opposed to each other, the slit diagonally cutting a crossing point of said first and second optical waveguides, said slit has a smaller width than cores of said first and second optical waveguides, and a center line of said slit is formed on a bisector of an interior angle between both center lines of said first and second optical waveguides, wherein when an optical transmitting substance, in which a light inputted to said first and second optical waveguides can pass through, is held at the crossing point in said slit, the light inputted to said first and second optical waveguides is output from said first and second optical waveguides, respectively, and when an optical reflecting substance having a function of reflecting the light is held at the crossing point in said slit, the first light inputted to said first optical waveguide is reflected on the first side wall of said slit near the input end of the first light, and then the first light is inputted into said second optical waveguide and outputted from it, whereas the second light inputted in said second optical waveguide is reflected on the second side wall of said slit near the input end of the second light, and then the second light is inputted into said first optical waveguide and outputted from it, whereby the destination of the light is switched.