Patent ID: 6912334

Claim:
An optical switch, comprising: a substrate; a first slab layer and a second slab layer disposed over the substrate; a third slab layer disposed over the substrate and positioned between the first slab layer and the second slab layer; and a phase control area provided for any one of the first slab layer, the second slab layer and the third slab layer, and controlling a phase of light passing through the respective slab layer, each of the slab layers comprising: a two-dimensional photonic crystal structure in which low refraction index areas are arranged periodically; a linear defect that is formed in a part of the two-dimensional photonic structure and functions as a waveguide; a point defect for emitting light, which is formed within the two-dimensional photonic crystal structure, captures light of a specific wavelength from the linear defect, and emits the light; and a point defect for trapping light, which is formed within the two-dimensional photonic crystal structure, captures light of a specific wavelength, and traps the light into the linear defect, the point defect for trapping light in each of the first slab layer and the second slab layer and the point defect for emitting light in the third slab layer being positioned so as to face each other, and the point defect for emitting light in each of the first slab layer and the second slab layer and the point defect for trapping light in the third slab layer being positioned so as to face each other.