WAVEGUIDE TYPE OPTICAL CONTROL METHOD USING LIQUID CRYSTAL PARTICULATE DISPERSION MEDIUM AND LIQUID CRYSTAL OPTICAL ELEMENT FOR WAVEGUIDE TYPE OPTICAL CONTROL

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a practicable optical control method of a waveguide type which takes advantage of large refractive index anisotropy possessed by liquid crystals and low voltage responsiveness and an optical element formed by using the same. ;SOLUTION: Two pieces of optical waveguides 11, 12 consisting of light transparent media are arranged in proximity on a substrate 10. Electrodes 13, 14 are arranged in parallel across the one optical waveguide. The light transparent media are formed by dispersing the liquid crystal particulates having the diameter smaller by about one digit than the wavelengths of light into a light transparent material, such as glass or polymer. The linearly polarized light having the plane of polarization in the direction parallel with the voltage impression direction of the optical waveguide 11, i.e., the plane direction of the substrate 10 is made incident as input light 1, 2 on the optical waveguides 11, 12 respectively. The refractive index of the optical waveguide 11 changes but the refractive index of the optical waveguide 12 does not change when the voltage is impressed and, therefore, the coupling rate changes and an optical switch is obtd.;COPYRIGHT: (C)1997,JPO