JPS5692524A - Photo switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a photoswitch of the construction permitting extremely easy mounting to a monolithic configuration photointegrated circuit by disposing plural Schottky electrodes so that the end parts of plural optical guides may be formed at the end part of one optical guide. CONSTITUTION:Now, when a change-over switch 12 is selecting an optical guide 8, the light 14 entering from the terminal of an optical guide 7 arrives at a branch 10 by propagating in the n-GaAs layer encircled by a semi-insulation characteristic GaAs substrate and the depletion layer under a Pd Schottky electrode. Here, the optical guide 8 is in the state that it can function as an optical guide because the depletion layer under the Pd schottky electrode has arrived on the surface of the semi-insulation-characteristic GaAs substrate, but the optical guide 9 does not function as an optical guide because the depletion layer under the Pd Schottky electrode has not arrived at the surface of the semi-insulation-characteristic substrate. Hence, the light having propagated in the optical guide 7 is introduced into the optical guide 8 in the branch 10 and is radiated 15 from the terminal thereof.