Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Tomohiko Kanie

Makoto Katayama

Masayuki Nishimura

Hiroshi Suganuma

Takahiro Sunaga

Manabu Shiozaki

Takayuki Shimazu

Kenichiro Takahashi

Masakazu Shigehara

Toshiaki Okuno

Akira Inoue

Tomomi Sano

Osamu Shimakawa

Michiko Takushima

Michiko Harumoto

Toru Iwashima

Yuuichi Mitose

Kazuhisa Konishi

Shunichi Tsuchiya

An optical device which reduces coupling loss while improving practicality is provided. A multi-core fiber coupling device is an optical device which couples a multi-core fiber to single core fibers, and includes a first optical system which is located on optical axes of a plurality of beams emitted from the multi-core fiber, and which makes the optical axes of the respective beams non-parallel to each other, thereby making the beams in a state of being separated from each other, and a second optical system Swhich makes the optical axes of the plurality of beams in a state of being non-parallel to each other on the side of the first optical system, in a state of being approximately parallel to each other.

Optical device

An optical fiber cable is provided as one capable of preventing damage of an inside tube and an outside tube. An optical fiber cableis provided with an optical fiberfor propagating laser light, an inside tubehousing an end portion of this optical fiber, and an outside tubearranged outside the inside tubeand surrounding the inside tube. A space portionis provided between the optical fiberand an inner peripheral surface of the inside tube

Optical fiber cable

An optical variable attenuatorhas a planar waveguideand an actuator structureThe planar waveguideis provided with an input optical waveguide coreA for input of an optical signal, an output optical waveguide coreB for outputting an optical signal from the optical waveguide coreA, and an a movable mirror optical waveguide coreC for guiding light that does not enter the optical waveguide coreB, out of the optical signal from the optical waveguide coreA. The actuator structurehas a movable mirrorfor reflecting the optical signal emerging from the input optical waveguide coreA, toward the output optical waveguide coreB. A light receiving devicefor receiving light passing the optical waveguide coreC is provided at one end face of the planar waveguide

An optical device according to an embodiment of the present invention has an actuator structure. The actuator structure has a substrate, a stationary electrode, a movable electrode, an optical element, and a hole portion. The stationary electrode is provided on a surface of the substrate. The movable electrode is provided on the surface of the substrate. The optical element is provided on the movable electrode. The substrate faces the movable electrode. The hole portion is formed in a part of the substrate. A region near the movable electrode where the optical element is provided is immersed in a matching oil.

Optical device and production method thereof

A movable mirror device has a plurality of reflecting mirrors and a plurality of mirror drivers. The plurality of reflecting mirrors are reflecting mirrors to reflect signal light and are arranged in a one-dimensional direction along a predetermined plane. The plurality of mirror drivers are arranged two-dimensionally relative to the one-dimensional direction and individually drive the respective reflecting mirrors.

Movable mirror device, dispersion compensator, gain equalizer, and optical ADM apparatus

An optical switch is provided in which the difference of the optical loss due to the difference of optical path can be reduced. The optical switch comprises the first switching partsA&#x2013;D and the second switching partsA&#x2013;D. The first switching partsA&#x2013;D each comprise: a planar waveguide devicein which four coupling optical waveguidesand an input optical waveguideare provided; and reflection mirrorsfor reflecting a light signal incident from the input optical waveguideto the respective coupling optical waveguides, respectively. The second switching partsA&#x2013;D each comprise: a planar waveguide devicein which coupling optical waveguidesand an output optical waveguideare provided; and reflection mirrorsfor reflecting a light signal incident from the respective coupling optical waveguidesto the output optical waveguide. The optical switch is provided withoptical fibersfor connecting the coupling optical waveguidesof the first switching partsA&#x2013;D to the different second coupling optical waveguidesof the second switching partsA&#x2013;D, respectively.

Optical switch

An optical switch according to this invention has a planar waveguide in which an optical path is formed. A trench is formed in the upper surface of this planar waveguide. A cantilevered movable member is mounted on the planar waveguide. A comb is formed in the end portion of this movable member. A mirror which intercepts light propagating on the optical path is fixed to the end of the movable member. An electrode opposing the movable member is formed on the planar waveguide. A comb is formed in that portion of this electrode, which opposes the comb of the movable member. The movable member and electrode are connected via a voltage source. When this voltage source generates electrostatic force between the movable member and electrode, the movable member bends, and the mirror moves along the bottom surface of the trench accordingly.

Optical switch and optical switch array

An optical switchhas a plane waveguideprovided with optical waveguide, and an actuator structureincluding a beamlike membersupported in a doubly supported manner on the plane waveguide. A mirrorfor shutting out light passing on the optical waveguideis provided in the central region of the beamlike member. Interconnecting membersextending in the longitudinal direction of the beamlike memberare coupled to the both ends of the beamlike member. The interconnecting memberspreliminarily exert a compressive force on the beamlike memberso as to deflect the beamlike memberwith compression stress in an initial state in which the mirroris located at a position where the mirror allows the light passing on the optical waveguideto pass or at a position where the mirror shuts out the light passing on the optical waveguide

Optical switch, optical add/drop apparatus, optical transmission system, and method of producing optical switch

An optical signal, which is to become the subject of dispersion compensation, is split by optical combining/splitting unit, and each frequency component of the optical signal that is split is reflected by the corresponding reflective mirrorincluded in reflective mirror groupto apply a predetermined phase shift to the respective frequency components Each reflected frequency component is then combined using optical combining/splitting unit, to give dispersion compensated optical signal Furthermore, in regards to reflective mirror group, which is used to apply phase shift to each frequency component of an optical signal, each of the respective plurality of reflective mirrorsis made a movable mirror having a movable reflection position that reflects the frequency components. Through this, dispersion that develops in an optical signal may be compensated with favorable controllability and high accuracy. Therefore, the precision and controllability of dispersion compensation will become superior, and realized is a variable dispersion compensator having a miniaturized optical circuit, and an optical transmission system comprising such variable dispersion compensator,

Variable dispersion compensator and optical transmission system

There is disclosed an optical switch for switching between a plurality of main light emitters respectively emitting light components having wavelengths different from each other and a backup light emitter adapted to replace any of the main light emitters, a light emitter switching method for switching from one failed main light emitter to a backup light emitter by using the optical switch the above switch and a light receiver switching method for switching from one failed main light receiver to a backup light receiver by using the above.

Optical switch for switching between multiple main light emitters

An optical module has a planar waveguide which is provided with an optical circuit for an optical switch formed by 2&times;2 cross optical waveguides A to D and an optical circuit for an optical variable attenuator formed by 2&times;2 cross optical waveguides A to D . Joined onto the planar waveguide is an actuator structure and the actuator structure is constituted by an actuator section for an optical switch and an actuator section for an optical variable attenuator. The optical circuit of the planar waveguide and the actuator section constitute an optical switch, whereas the optical circuit of the planar waveguide and the actuator section constitute an optical variable attenuator.

Optical module, light divider/insertor and light transmission device

An optical switch that can restrain the occurrence of cross talk is provided. A first waveguide path and a second waveguide path are provided on a waveguide substrate PCL so as to intersect each other at a given angle. A trench T is formed in a straight line in the surface of the waveguide substrate PCL so as to cross the central axes of the first waveguide path and the second waveguide path. The trench T is as deep as to expose the whole end face of the first waveguide path and the second waveguide path. The first waveguide path and the second waveguide path are arranged such that their central axes are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the straight line.

An optical variable attenuator has a planar waveguide, which is provided with optical waveguides forming an input optical line A and an output optical line B. A cantilever is disposed at the upper face of the planar waveguide, whereas a movable mirror for reflecting light passing through the input optical line A toward the output optical line B is secured to the leading end part of the cantilever. An electrode is disposed at the upper face of the planar waveguide. The cantilever and the electrode are connected to each other by way of a voltage source. The voltage source applies a voltage between the cantilever and the electrode, so as to generate an electrostatic force therebetween, which flexes the leading end side of the cantilever toward the electrode. As a consequence, the movable mirror moves toward the electrode.

Optical variable attenuator and optical module

An optical signal, which is to become the subject of dispersion compensation, is split by optical combining/splitting unit and each frequency component of the optical signal that is split is reflected by each reflective surface of reflective mirror of reflective means to apply a predetermined phase shift to the respective frequency components. Each reflected frequency component is then combined using optical combining/splitting unit to give dispersion compensated optical signal. Furthermore, in regards to reflective means , which is used to apply phase shift to each frequency component of an optical signal, reflective mirror is made a variable movable mirror by reflection position at each reflective surface, which reflects the frequency components, deforming the entire reflective surface. This allows dispersion that is created in an optical signal to be compensated with favorable controllability and high accuracy. As a result, it becomes possible to provide a variable dispersion compensator that presents high precision and controllability of dispersion compensation, and has a miniaturized optical circuit, and an optical transmission system comprising such variable dispersion compensator.

A method of increasing index of refraction of silica glass includes the step of irradiating a prescribed region of silica glass with X-ray having a wavelength within a range of from 1.2 .ANG. to 7.0 .ANG., and exciting K shell electrons of silicon atoms in the irradiated region with the X-ray, so that the index of refraction in the irradiated region is increased efficiently.

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Yokohama, Japan

Tomohiko Kanie