A slab-type optical device comprising a pair of single mode waveguides equal in phase constant and intersecting each other each at its one end and a pair of single mode waveguides different in phase constant and intersecting each other each at its one end. The pairs of waveguides are joined to each other at their intersections. The angle of intersection of the two waveguides in each pair is set to such a small value that when light propagates along the waveguide a very small distance, the variation in the spacing between the waveguides is negligible relative to the distance of propagation.