Thermo-optical switch

US6215918A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Heinrich Hertz Institut fuer Nachrichtentechnik Berlin GmbH. · DE

Inventors

• Norbert Keil · Berlin, DE
• Huihai Yao · Berlin, DE
• Crispin Zawadzki · Berlin, DE
• Hans-Peter Nolting · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 19, 1998
• Grant date: Apr 10, 2001
• Expiry date: Jun 19, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F1/065
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

For reducing power consumption and cross-talk in the transmission of broadband optical signals without prior conversion into electrical signals there are provided in a thermo-optical switch two waveguides (WL1 and WL2) extending closely adjacent each other over their interactive length the width of which is at least partially covered by one or two pairs of lamellate electrode arms of a heating electrode (E), the arms of each pair being interconnected by a common web (G) and being of similar geometric shape as the waveguides (WL1 and WL2) positioned below them. Furthermore, means is provided for changing and/or setting the thermal and/or geometric symmetry/asymmetry of the refractive indices in the two waveguides.