Optical waveguide network

US4120560A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Peter Baues · Krailling, DE
• Gerhard Winzer · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 20, 1978
• Grant date: Oct 17, 1978
• Expiry date: Jan 20, 1998

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F1/3132
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical waveguide network for crossing-free switching of a guided signal from any input to any output and consisting of n waveguides disposed optically parallel to one another and located on a substrate and of a plurality of pairs of electrodes. A waveguide network of this type is provided having two electrode pairs in each case disposed such that two adjacent waveguides are connected by two electrode pairs and either the substrate made of lead zirconate and lead titanate ceramic material or a liquid crystal layer is provided instead, disposed above or below the waveguide plane or another electro-optical switchable material. In a preferred embodiment, an additional dielectric intermediate layer is provided under and/or above the waveguide plane, together with perhaps another dielectric insulating layer disposed above the waveguide plane.