Patent ID: 6438298
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical device comprising:a plurality of first optical waveguides arranged in the horizontal direction; a plurality of second optical waveguides arranged in the direction perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to said first optical waveguides, said second optical waveguides being not optically coupled to said first optical waveguides at crossing portions at which said first and second optical waveguides cross each other; and elements to be excited by light rays waveguided in said first and second optical waveguides, said elements being arranged at said crossing portions; wherein said elements to be excited are selected for each line of a plurality of lines comprising said first optical waveguides by intensities of light rays in said first optical waveguides functioning as horizontal waveguides, and by light rays, which are in said second optical waveguides functioning as vertical waveguides, that are modulated in intensity on a basis of data signals, and the light rays whose intensities have been modulated on the basis of the data signals are extracted to an outside via said selected elements to be excited.