To provide an optical switch having a smalled and simple structure, a magnetostriction material having magnetostriction sensitivity, a magnetostriction actuator, and an optical switch using the magnetostrictioin actuator.
The optical switch 100 is provided with an elementary piece 10 and a magnetic field application part 200. The piece 10 is provided with a magnetostriction thin film 3 and a reflection film 4 formed on a substrate 1 having flexibility and the piece 10 reflects light from an incident part 31. The deflection quantity of the piece 10 is changed by extending/contracting the thin film 3 in the magnetization direction. Since the direction of light reflected by the piece 10 is changed, the optical path of light from the light incident part 31 can be switched to an optical fiber 14 or 15 in an outgoing part 32. The magnetostrictive actuator and the optical switch are manufactured by using a magnetostrictive thin film formed by adding erbium or thulium to amorphous alloy such as samarium-iron.
SHIBAZAKI TOSHISHIGE
OTA NORIO
WAKABAYASHI KOICHIRO
