# US 2023/0408771 A1 · Optical waveguide device

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- Number: US 2023/0408771 A1
- Document ID: US20230408771A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/033,526
- Filed: 2020-10-29
- Published: 2023-12-21
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-29
- Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
- Applicants: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
- Inventors: Riku TAKAHASHI; Aya TANAKA; Masumi YAMAGUCHI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230408771A1

## CPC

- G02B 6/1221: {made from organic materials}
- G02B 6/138: by using polymerisation
- G02B 6/30: for use between fibre and thin-film device
- G02B 6/3608: {Fibre wiring boards, i.e. where fibres are embedded or attached in a pattern on or to a substrate, e.g. flexible sheets (optical ribbon cables in support members G02B6/4401)}
- G02B 2006/0325: {Fluid core or cladding}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

Provided is an optical waveguide device (100) including a substrate (3) formed into a plate shape, a soft material (2) having swellability, formed into a film shape, and provided on a side of one surface of the substrate, a pair of adhesive regions (B1), formed at an interface between the substrate and the soft material, in which the substrate and the soft material are adhered to each other, a non-adhesive region (B2) formed so that the substrate and the soft material are not adhered to each other between the pair of adhesive regions, a protruding part (2B) in which a channel is formed so as to protrude in the non-adhesive region in the soft material, a liquid (W) filled into the channel and having a higher refractive index than the soft material, a pair of liquid feed tubes (8) connected to both ends of the channel, and a pair of optical fibers (9) inserted into the pair of liquid feed tubes respectively, wherein an optical waveguide is formed in the protruding part, and the optical waveguide includes a cladding formed of the soft material, and includes a core formed of the liquid in the channel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical waveguide device comprising:
a substrate formed into a plate shape;
a soft material having swellability and formed into a film shape, the soft material provided on a side of one surface of the substrate;
a pair of adhesive regions formed so as to extend along a predetermined direction on the one surface at an interface between the substrate and the soft material, the pair of adhesive regions in which the substrate and the soft material are adhered to each other;
a non-adhesive region formed so that the substrate and the soft material are not adhered to each other between the pair of adhesive regions;
a protruding part in which a channel is formed so as to protrude in the non-adhesive region in the soft material;
a liquid filled into the channel and having a higher refractive index than the soft material;
a pair of liquid feed tubes connected to both ends of the channel; and
a pair of optical fibers inserted into the pair of liquid feed tubes respectively, wherein
an optical waveguide is formed in the protruding part, the optical waveguide including a cladding formed of the soft material, and including a core formed of the liquid in the channel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical waveguide device according to claim 1, wherein
the protruding part is formed so that a physical property changes in response to a stimulus given from an outside.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical waveguide device according to claim 1, wherein
the protruding part is formed so that a volume changes in response to a property of a solvent in contact with surrounding of the protruding part, and is formed so as to change a waveguide characteristic of light by a change in a shape of the liquid filled in the channel in response to the volume change.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optical waveguide device according to claim 1, wherein
the protruding part is formed so as to guide light or not to guide light in response to a kind of the liquid filled in the channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The optical waveguide device according to claim 1, wherein
the soft material is formed so as to include a hydrogel that swells with an aqueous solvent.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The optical waveguide device according to claim 1, wherein
the soft material is formed so as to include an organogel that swells with a lipophilic solvent.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The optical waveguide device according to claim 1, wherein
the soft material is formed so as to swell in response to a light stimulus or a thermal stimulus.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The optical waveguide device according to claim 1, wherein
the soft material is formed so as to include a cell and/or a microorganism and have biocompatibility.