Alcatel N.v.

Klaus-D Matthies

Peter Kersten

Johann Springer

An optical hybrid switch is indicated, which guides a voltage-controlled light flux supplied by an incoming passive optical waveguide (1), to at least one of two outgoing passive optical waveguides (1, 1a). The hybrid switch according to the invention preferably uses a NLO-polymer as the electro-optically active elements. The increased attenuation linked to the use of NLO-polymer is kept low by extending the incoming optical waveguide (1) without interruption as one of the outgoing optical waveguides. To steer the light flux to the other outgoing optical waveguide (1a), the light is coupled out from an electro-optically active waveguide structure (5) by an adjustable coupler (6), and coupled to the other outgoing passive waveguide (1a) through another fixed adjustment coupler (8).

Optical hybrid switch with electroptically active waveguide structure

Manufacturing of optoelectronic components in which an optical waveguide is made of an optically nonlinear (NLO) polymer, above and below of which is provided a buffer layer which carries at least one stripe electrode. The at least one stripe electrode is used as a mask to form the NLO polymer waveguide.

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Moglingen, Germany

Klaus-D Matthies