Omron Tateisi Electronics Co.

Taro Watanabe

Kazuo Mikami

Masanobu Koide

An optical waveguide path and an optical branch path branching from the waveguide path are formed in an optical material which is variable in refractive index with the variation of temperature. A heat generator is provided in the vicinity of the branching portion of the waveguide path. The heat of the generator produces in the optical material a temperature gradient in a direction parallel with a plane including the waveguide path and the branch path. The temperature gradient gives the optical material a temperature gradient, by which a light beam propagating through the waveguide path is deflected for switching.

Optical thermooptic switch device

An optical coupling device is prepared with use of an optical medium containing a monomer which is polymerizable when irradiated with light to give a polymer having a higher refractive index than the monomer. The two elements to be coupled optically are at least partly embedded in the optical medium, and an optical coupling path partly interconnecting the two elements is formed by the photopolymerization of the monomer which is accelerated by light propagating from at least one of the elements toward the other element. Thus the photopolymerization of the monomer forms in the portion of the optical coupling path a polymer which has a higher refractive index than the surrounding portion and which therefore provides an optical waveguide of the step index type.

Growing community of inventors

Takatsuki, Japan

Taro Watanabe