Abstract:
There is provided a planar optical waveguide element including a core, the core including first and second portions and a gap portion that is positioned in a center of a width direction of the core between the first and second portions so as to extend in a light waveguide direction. The gap portion has a lower refractive index than that of the first and second portions, and a single mode propagated in the waveguide element has a span crossing the first and second portions.