Abstract: A tightly closed casing has an inside space for storing coolant gas. A block is accommodated in this casing. A motor includes a stator and a mover. A piston is connected to the mover of the motor. A movable element includes the mover of the motor and the piston. A stationary element includes the stator of the motor and the block. An elastic element has a portion fixed to the movable element and another portion fixed to the stationary element. A cylinder is shiftable in an axial direction with respect the block. A shifting device shifts the cylinder in the axial direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical signal processor which can multiplex or demultiplex multiwavelength signal light. The optical signal processor includes an optical input/output capability, a first optical system, a wavelength branching capability, a second optical system, and a reflecting capability.

Abstract: An optical module has a planar waveguide which is provided with an optical circuit for an optical switch formed by 2×2 cross optical waveguides A1 to D1 and an optical circuit for an optical variable attenuator formed by 2×2 cross optical waveguides A2 to D2. Joined onto the planar waveguide is an actuator structure and the actuator structure is constituted by an actuator section for an optical switch and an actuator section for an optical variable attenuator. The optical circuit of the planar waveguide and the actuator section constitute an optical switch, whereas the optical circuit of the planar waveguide 2 and the actuator section constitute an optical variable attenuator.

Abstract: A compressor includes a motor unit formed of a stator and a rotor, a compressor mechanism driven by the motor unit, and an enclosed container accommodating the foregoing elements. The compressor mechanism includes a cylinder block equipped with a compressing chamber and a piston. A shaft directly coupled to the rotor that drives the piston is supported by a double-sided bearing system, namely, a main bearing and a sub bearing. This structure allows preventing the shaft from slanting, and reducing a loss and a noise caused by sliding. As a result, a low profile, highly reliable and efficient compressor is obtainable.

Abstract: [Problems to be solved] To provide an optical switching device which can switch between input/output optical paths of input/output ports while suppressing the influence on optical signals passing through other input/output ports.

Abstract: An optical switch is provided in which the difference of the optical loss due to the difference of optical path can be reduced. The optical switch comprises the first switching parts 2A-2D and the second switching parts 3A-3D. The first switching parts 2A-2D each comprise: a planar waveguide device 4 in which four coupling optical waveguides 5a-5d and an input optical waveguide 6 are provided; and reflection mirrors 8a-8d for reflecting a light signal incident from the input optical waveguide 6 to the respective coupling optical waveguides 5a-5d, respectively. The second switching parts 3A-3D each comprise: a planar waveguide device 9 in which coupling optical waveguides 10a-10d and an output optical waveguide 11 are provided; and reflection mirrors 13a-13d for reflecting a light signal incident from the respective coupling optical waveguides 10a-10d to the output optical waveguide 11.

Abstract: An optical variable attenuator has a planar waveguide, which is provided with optical waveguides forming an input optical line A and an output optical line B. A cantilever is disposed at the upper face of the planar waveguide, whereas a movable mirror for reflecting light passing through the input optical line A toward the output optical line B is secured to the leading end part of the cantilever. An electrode is disposed at the upper face of the planar waveguide. The cantilever and the electrode are connected to each other by way of a voltage source. The voltage source applies a voltage between the cantilever and the electrode, so as to generate an electrostatic force therebetween, which flexes the leading end side of the cantilever toward the electrode. As a consequence, the movable mirror moves toward the electrode.

Abstract: An optical switch that can restrain the occurrence of cross talk is provided. A first waveguide path 11 and a second waveguide path 12 are provided on a waveguide substrate PCL so as to intersect each other at a given angle. A trench T is formed in a straight line in the surface of the waveguide substrate PCL so as to cross the central axes of the first waveguide path and the second waveguide path. The trench T is as deep as to expose the whole end face of the first waveguide path and the second waveguide path. The first waveguide path 11 and the second waveguide path 12 are arranged such that their central axes are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the straight line.

Abstract: A hermetic electric compressor is capable of efficiently pumping up a necessary amount of lubricating oil even at low-speed rotation and has a simple constitution to provide an excellent workablity in assembling. The hermetic electric compressor includes an oil pump. The oil pump includes (i) a slanting channel formed in the lower portion of a main shaft and slanting from the lower portion to the upper portion thereof outwardly, (ii) a throttle formed at the bottom end of the main shaft and having an inlet port of diameter smaller than the section of the slanting channel at the center thereof, and (iii) a lower communicating passage for providing a communication between the bottom end of a spiral groove and the slanting channel. This constitution is capable of effectively lift the head of the lubricating oil.

Abstract: A transmitted type diffractive optical element comprises a transparent plate made of a material having a refractive index n2, whereas the transparent plate is in contact with a medium having a refractive index n1. A number of projections are arranged with a period L on the first surface side of the transparent plate. Each projection has a rectangular cross section with a height H and a width W. An antireflection layer is formed on the second surface of the transparent plate. When the light L1 having a wavelength &lgr; is incident on the first surface at an incident angle &thgr;, the transmitted type diffractive optical element satisfies (2n1L/&lgr;)sin &thgr;=1, and n2/n1≦3 sin &thgr;, whereas each of the diffraction efficiencies of transmitted first-order diffracted light L31 in TE and TM polarization modes is at least 0.8.

Abstract: A control apparatus for a linear compressor driving system is disclosed for stabilizing the behavior of a piston and thereby protecting the increase in noise vibration caused by collision and the reduction in reliability. This control apparatus stabilizes the behavior of the piston by including: an unstableness detecting means, which directly or indirectly detects that the behavior of the piston is unstable and then outputs an unstableness detection signal; and an unstableness avoiding means which is operated in accordance with the unstableness detection signal.

Abstract: An optical element comprises optical input/output means, polarization separating means, polarization plane rotating means, wavelength branching means, a condenser optical system, and reflecting means. The optical input/output means, for inputting and outputting light, has a plurality of ports. The polarization separating means separates the light into respective polarized light components (first and second light beams) having first and second directions orthogonal to each other. The polarization plane rotating means rotates a polarization direction of the received light beam to make the first and second light beams have the same polarization direction. The wavelength branching means spatially separates the light beams in terms of wavelength, and outputs thus separated wavelength light components. The condenser optical system converges the wavelength light components.

Abstract: An optical signal processor comprises optical input/output means, a first optical system, wavelength branching means, a second optical system, and reflecting means. The optical input/output means includes a plurality of input/output ports. The ports have respective light input/output directions, in parallel with each other, located on a first virtual plane. The optical input/output means inputs light into any of the ports and outputs the light from any of the ports. The first optical system collimates the light. The wavelength branching means spatially separates the light in terms of wavelength, and outputs thus obtained wavelength light components. The wavelength light components have respective optical axes located on a second virtual plane. The second optical system receives the wavelength light components and converges them. The reflecting means includes a mirror with a reflecting surface positioned at a light-converging point of the wavelength light components converged by the second optical system.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optical switch for switching between a plurality of main light emitters respectively emitting light components having wavelengths different from each other and a backup light emitter adapted to replace any of the main light emitters, a light emitter switching method for switching from one failed main light emitter to a backup light emitter by using the optical switch the above switch and a light receiver switching method for switching from one failed main light receiver to a backup light receiver by using the above.

Abstract: An optical switch 1 has a plane waveguide 2 provided with optical waveguide 3, and an actuator structure 5 including a beamlike member 6 supported in a doubly supported manner on the plane waveguide 2. A mirror 10 for shutting out light passing on the optical waveguide 3 is provided in the central region of the beamlike member 6. Interconnecting members 12 extending in the longitudinal direction of the beamlike member 6 are coupled to the both ends of the beamlike member 6. The interconnecting members 12 preliminarily exert a compressive force on the beamlike member 6 so as to deflect the beamlike member 6 with compression stress in an initial state in which the mirror 10 is located at a position where the mirror allows the light passing on the optical waveguide 3 to pass or at a position where the mirror shuts out the light passing on the optical waveguide 3.

Abstract: An optical module has a planar waveguide which is provided with an optical circuit for an optical switch formed by 2×2 cross optical waveguides A1 to D1 and an optical circuit for an optical variable attenuator formed by 2×2 cross optical waveguides A2 to D2. Joined onto the planar waveguide is an actuator structure and the actuator structure is constituted by an actuator section for an optical switch and an actuator section for an optical variable attenuator. The optical circuit of the planar waveguide and the actuator section constitute an optical switch, whereas the optical circuit of the planar waveguide 2 and the actuator section constitute an optical variable attenuator.

Abstract: An optical variable attenuator has a planar waveguide, which is provided with optical waveguides forming an input optical line A and an output optical line B. A cantilever is disposed at the upper face of the planar waveguide, whereas a movable mirror for reflecting light passing through the input optical line A toward the output optical line B is secured to the leading end part of the cantilever. An electrode is disposed at the upper face of the planar waveguide. The cantilever and the electrode are connected to each other by way of a voltage source. The voltage source applies a voltage between the cantilever and the electrode, so as to generate an electrostatic force therebetween, which flexes the leading end side of the cantilever toward the electrode. As a consequence, the movable mirror moves toward the electrode.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer having a structure for actively compensating for distortion due to aberration of wavelength characteristics or the like among signal channels and effectively reducing loss variation or the like. In the optical multiplexer/demultiplexer, optical input ends of output waveguides arrayed corresponding to signals of channel wavelengths set at predetermined wavelength intervals are arranged so that an optical input end of at least either one of these output waveguides is located inside a Rowland circle. This structure effectively reduces the loss variation etc. among the signal channels.

Abstract: An optical signal, which is to become the subject of dispersion compensation, is split by optical combining/splitting unit 2, and each frequency component of the optical signal that is split is reflected by each reflective surface of reflective mirror 40 of reflective means 4 to apply a predetermined phase shift to the respective frequency components. Each reflected frequency component is then combined using optical combining/splitting unit 2, to give dispersion compensated optical signal. Furthermore, in regards to reflective means 4, which is used to apply phase shift to each frequency component of an optical signal, reflective mirror 40 is made a variable movable mirror by reflection position at each reflective surface, which reflects the frequency components, deforming the entire reflective surface. This allows dispersion that is created in an optical signal to be compensated with favorable controllability and high accuracy.

Abstract: A main optical path and an auxiliary optical path which are formed in a substrate are optically coupled to each other with a plurality of optical couplers, so as to constitute a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. By controlling the temperature regulation of main and auxiliary optical paths effected by heaters, a control unit regulates the transmissivity of light across an optical input end and an optical output end. Respective optical path lengths of the main and auxiliary optical paths are set so as to lower birefringence when optical loss becomes greater.