Optical switch using an optical waveguide
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsNaoki Nishida, Takuji Hatano, Koji Takahara, Shinji Maruyama, Miyuki Teramoto, Koujirou Sekine
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is an optical switch for changing over a running direction of a light passing through an optical waveguide between a first direction and a second direction by moving a switching member disposed on an optical path of an optical waveguide. The switching member has a plurality of switching positions for selectively guiding each of lights of at least two different wavelengths into the first direction or second direction.
Claims17
An optical switch for changing over a running direction of a light passing through an optical waveguide between a first direction and a second direction by moving a switching member disposed on an optical path of an optical waveguide, wherein the switching member has a plurality of switching portions for selectively guiding each of lights of at least two different wavelengths into the first direction or second direction, respectively, and the switching member is moved by applying pressure to a liquid in contact with the switching member.
An optical switch comprising:
- a groove intersecting with an optical waveguide and filled with liquid;
- a switching member movably provided in the groove;
- and
- a micro pump coupled to the groove for transferring the liquid in the groove to cause the switching member to move within the groove in response to pressure applied from the pump via the liquid.
An optical switch for changing over a running direction of a plurality of different wavelengths of light passing through an optical waveguide between a first direction and a second direction, said optical switch comprising:
- a switching member disposed on an optical path of the optical waveguide, said switching member having a plurality of switching portions for selectively guiding each of the plurality of different wavelengths of light independently into one of the first direction and the second direction depending on a position of said switching member, wherein the switching member is moved by applying pressure to a liquid in contact with the switching member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.