Abstract: A mirror device includes a mirror (153) which is supported to be pivotable with respect to a mirror substrate (151), a driving electrode (103-1-103-4) which is formed on an electrode substrate (101) facing the mirror substrate, and an antistatic structure (106) which is arranged in a space between the mirror and the electrode substrate. This structure can fix the potential of the lower surface of the mirror and suppress drift of the mirror by applying a second potential to the antistatic structure.

Abstract: An optical switch for switching a light path between two optical waveguides is provided. The switch has a slit formed diagonally cutting across the crossing point of crossing optical waveguides and a substance in the slit has a function of transmitting or reflecting an optical signal is selectively held in the slit. The slit is narrower than cores of the optical waveguides, and has a center line formed on a bisection of an interior angle between optical axes of the crossing optical waveguides. Thus, the substance in the slit serves to make optical intensity reflected to each of the optical waveguides uniform. Further, a crossing optical waveguide consists of a reflecting structure having its interior filled with air during reflection and the intersecting angle between the first group of optical waveguides is between 0 to 90 degrees and preferably substantially between 73 and 74 degrees.

Abstract: An optical switch of the present invention has a plurality of elements arranged in each of a row and a column direction thereof, where the slits of each element are located at corresponding crossing point between an optical wave guide extending to a row direction and a column direction. A heating element, provided near each of the slits, with a predetermined resistance value, and liquid with predetermined optical characteristic which moves within the slit. The liquid is moved to switch the optical paths at the crossing point between the optical wave-guides.

Abstract: An optical switch includes a substrate having therein optical waveguides made of silicon and a silicon layer deposited on its top surface. A space is formed in the crossing portion of the optical waveguides which is covered with a lid, preferably made of low alkali borosilicate glass, and which is bonded to the silicon layer by anodic bonding. Preferably, a groove is formed in a surface of the optical waveguide substrate or a bonding surface of the lid. The groove, after the lid has been bonded, makes a passage which communicates between the space and an outside. The passage is a pouring slit for pouring an index-matching liquid and is connected to the space which acts as a driving slit in which the index-matching liquid moves. In one embodiment, the width of the pouring slit is smaller than that of the driving slit. The optical switch can be manufactured by providing an optical waveguide substrate and a lid substrate, one of which is formed with a groove in its surface on which the two substrates are bonded.

Abstract: An optical waveguide which has properties including low optical losses, facile fabrication, controllable core-cladding refractive index ratio, and a high heat resistance is provided. The optical waveguide for light transmission therethrough has a core made of a polyimide obtained from at least one tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and at least one diamine. The polyimide is (a) a polyimide homopolymer derived from a diamine represented by formula [I] as follows: ##STR1## (b) a polyimide copolymer derived from at least one diamine including the diamine represented by the formula [I]; or (c) a mixture of the polyimide homopolymers.