Optical switch

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE:To enable an optical switch to operate even if a conductive path is not used by using a superconductor which makes a state change between superconduction and normal conduction. CONSTITUTION:This optical switch is constituted by utilizing the change in the interaction with light arising from the state change between the superconduction and the normal conduction of the superconductor 10 formed on a transparent substrate 20. Light is reflected by a Meissner effect when the light is projected on the material in the superconducting state. The Meissner effect disappears and the quantity of reflected light decreases when the material is transited to the normal conducting state by temp., electric current and magnetic field, etc. The change in the reflectivity or transmissivity of the superconducting state and the normal conducting state is settable as desired by adequately selecting the film thickness of the superconducting material at this time. The optical switch of the simple constitution is thereby obtd.

Inventors

• 👤 Hiroyuki Minemura
• 👤 Yoshio Sato
• 👤 Nobuyoshi Tsuboi
• 👤 Hiroaki Koyanagi

Bibliographic Details