Optical deflector and optical switch
First Claim
1. An optical modulator comprising:
- an optical waveguide formed of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
electrodes opposed to each other across the optical waveguide, an electric field being applied between the electrodes to change a refractive index of the dielectric material to thereby control a propagating direction of a signal light propagating in the optical waveguide, the dielectric material having a first refractive index in its initial state, having a second refractive index by application of an electric field of a first polarity, and retaining a third refractive index obtained after the electric field has been removed, and the dielectric material having the third refractive index having the first refractive index by the application of an electric field of a second polarity different from the first polarity and removal of the electric field.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The optical deflector comprises: an optical waveguide 12 of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and a pair of electrodes 10, 14 opposed to each other across the optical waveguide, an electric field is applied between the opposed electrodes to change a refractive index of the dielectric material to thereby control a propagating direction of signal light propagating in the optical waveguide 12, wherein the dielectric material has a first refractive index in its initial state, has a second refractive index by application of an electric field of a first polarity, and retains as a third refractive index a refractive index obtained after the electric field has been removed. The dielectric material has the third refractive index has the first refractive index by the application of an electric field of a second polarity different from the first polarity and removal of the electric field.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An optical modulator comprising:
- an optical waveguide formed of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
electrodes opposed to each other across the optical waveguide, an electric field being applied between the electrodes to change a refractive index of the dielectric material to thereby control a propagating direction of a signal light propagating in the optical waveguide,the dielectric material having a first refractive index in its initial state, having a second refractive index by application of an electric field of a first polarity, and retaining a third refractive index obtained after the electric field has been removed, and the dielectric material having the third refractive index having the first refractive index by the application of an electric field of a second polarity different from the first polarity and removal of the electric field.
- an optical waveguide formed of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
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2. An optical deflector comprising:
- an optical waveguide formed of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
electrodes opposed to each other across the optical waveguide, an electric field being applied between the electrodes to change a refractive index of the dielectric material to thereby control a propagating direction of a signal light propagating in the optical waveguide,the dielectric material having a first refractive index in its initial state, having a refractive index changed to a second refractive index by application of an electric field of a first polarity, and retaining a third refractive index obtained after the electric field has been removed, and the dielectric material having the third refractive index having the first refractive index by the application of an electric field of a second polarity different from the first polarity and removal of the electric field. - View Dependent Claims (4)
- an optical waveguide formed of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
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3. An optical deflector comprising:
- an optical waveguide formed of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
electrodes opposed to each other across the optical waveguide, an electric field being applied between the electrodes to change a refractive index of the dielectric material to thereby control a propagating direction of a signal light propagating in the optical waveguide,having a first deflection angle in its initial state, having a second deflection angle by application of an electric field of a first polarity, and retaining a third reflection angle obtained after the electric field has been removed, and having the first reflection angle by the application of an electric field of a second polarity different from the first polarity in a state having the third reflection angle and removal of the electric field. - View Dependent Claims (5)
- an optical waveguide formed of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
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6. An optical deflector comprising:
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a slab waveguide formed on a substrate and formed of (Pb1−
wMw)(Zr1−
x−
yTixSny)zO3 (wherein 0<
w≦
0.5, 0<
x≦
0.5, 0<
y≦
0.5, 0.8≦
z≦
1.2; and
M is one kind, or two or more kinds of elements selected from a group consisted of lanthanum, niobium, tantalum, barium and strontium); and
an electrode formed on the slab waveguide, an electric field being applied to the slab waveguide by applying a prescribed voltage to the electrode to change a refractive index of the slab waveguide so as to control a propagating direction of a signal light propagating in the slab waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An optical switch comprising:
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a slab waveguide formed of (Pb1−
wMw)(Zr1−
x−
yTixSny)zO3 (wherein 0≦
w≦
0.5, 0<
x≦
0.5, 0<
y≦
0.5, 0.8≦
z≦
1.2; and
M is one kind, or two or more kinds of elements selected from a group consisted of lanthanum, niobium, tantalum, barium and strontium);
an input waveguide optically coupled to the slab waveguide, for inputting signal light to the slab waveguide;
an optical deflector having electrodes opposed to each other across the slab waveguide, for applying an electric field to the slab waveguide to change a refractive index to thereby control a propagating direction of the signal light propagating in the slab waveguide; and
a plurality of output waveguides optically coupled to the slab waveguide, for outputting the signal light through the slab waveguide, the signal light inputted to the input waveguide being outputted to an arbitrary one of the output waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A deflection direction control method for an optical deflector comprising:
- an optical waveguide of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
a pair of electrodes opposed to each other across the optical waveguide, for applying an electric field between the pair of electrode to change a refractive index of the dielectric material to thereby control a propagating direction of a signal light propagating in the optical waveguide, whereinan electric field of a first polarity is applied to the dielectric material of a first refractive index in its initial state and removing the electric field to thereby make the refractive index of the dielectric material to be a second refractive index different from the first refractive index, whereby a deflection direction of the signal light is changed. - View Dependent Claims (17)
- an optical waveguide of a dielectric material having electrooptical effect; and
Specification