Optical hybrid switch

Abstract

Abstract An optical hybrid switch is specified which, under voltage control, conducts a light flux fed via an incoming passive optical waveguide (1) to at least one of two outgoing passive optical waveguides (1, 1a). The hybrid switch according to the invention preferably uses an NLO (non-linear optical) polymer as electrooptically active component. The increased attenuation connected with the use of NLO polymer is kept low in this case by feeding the incoming optical waveguide (1) further as one of the outgoing optical waveguides without interruption. In the event of driving the light flux over to the other outgoing optical waveguide (1a), the light is coupled out by means of an adjustable coupler (6) into an electrooptically active waveguide structure (5) and, after the shortest possible guide path, coupled into the other outgoing passive waveguide (1a) via a further coupler (8) adjusted in a fixed manner. <IMAGE>

Inventors

• 👤 Peter Dr. Kersten
• 👤 Klaus-D. Matthies

Bibliographic Details