Optical path control device

• US 20040208412A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Wada, Morio, Miura, Akira, Kobayashi, Shinji, Iio, Shinji, Yakihara, Tsuyoshi, Oka, Sadaharu, Sato, Chie, Miyazaki, Shun-ichi
• Application Number:
  US10/813,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20040208412A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/9
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3548 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/295 Analog deflection from or in an optical waveguide structure]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/31 Digital deflection, i.e. optical switchingG02F1/33 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/311 Cascade arrangement of plural switches
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/066 channel; buried
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/101 Ga×As and alloy

Abstract

According to this invention, electrodes are formed on both sides of a part of an optical waveguide formed on a substrate and a voltage is applied between the electrodes to change the refractive index at the part of the optical waveguide where the electrode is formed. Therefore, the traveling direction of light can be changed. Moreover, an optical waveguide formed on a substrate, plural electrodes formed on both sides of the optical waveguide, plural incidence units formed at one end of the substrate, and plural emission units formed at the other end are provided. A voltage applied to an arbitrary electrode of the plural electrodes is controlled to change the refractive index at the part of the optical waveguide where the voltage is applied. Light emitted from an arbitrary incidence unit and incident on a core of the substrate thus becomes incident on an arbitrary emission unit. As the position of incidence of incident light or the diameter of the incident light is controlled to emit light to an arbitrary emission unit, an optical switch is realized that has a high degree of freedom in control, is small-sized, has no moving part and has high reliability. Moreover, as a voltage application unit is provided with an algorithm-based optimization processing function in order to improve the responsiveness and the degree of freedom of the optical switch, a highly flexible optical switch that can cope with, for example, changes in communication quantity and communication failure, is realized.

Claims

1. An optical path control device comprising an optical waveguide having a clad layer of P-type (or N-type) formed on a substrate and a core layer of N-type (or P-type) stacked on the clad layer, and electrodes formed on both sides of a part of the optical waveguide, wherein a voltage is applied between the electrodes to change the refractive index at the part of the optical waveguide where the electrode is formed.

3. The optical path control device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper electrode is formed in a triangular shape.

4. The optical path control device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the position of incident light incident on the optical waveguide or the spot diameter of the incident light is controlled, thereby controlling the optical path of light.

2. An optical path control device comprising an optical waveguide having a clad layer of P-type (or N-type) formed on a substrate and a core layer of N-type (or P-type) stacked on the clad layer, plural electrodes formed on both sides of the optical waveguide, plural incidence units provided at one end of the substrate, and plural emission units provided at the other end, wherein a voltage applied to an arbitrary electrode of the plural electrodes is controlled to change the refractive index at the part of the optical waveguide where the electrode is formed, so that light emitted from an arbitrary incidence unit and incident on the optical waveguide becomes incident on an arbitrary emission unit.

5. The optical path control device as claimed in claim 2, wherein an algorithm function for realizing optimum control is used in order to selectively emit light from an arbitrary incidence unit to an arbitrary emission unit.