US Patent 7099527 Optical waveguide switch and method of manufacturing the same

Optical waveguides facing each other with a layer-to-layer spacing kept not to permit the occurrence of a proximity effect perturbation within a gap section formed in an intermediate layer are configured so that at least one of the optical waveguides is moved toward the other facing the one optical waveguide with drive to cause the occurrence of the proximity effect perturbation between the optical waveguides. Thus, optical signal switching or translation takes place by coupling optical signals transmitted through the optical waveguides with each other by the proximity effect perturbation.