Patent ID: 9411107
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: G02B

Claim Text:
1. An N×M monolithic switch, comprising: a monolithic refractive element; N input/output ports coupled to said monolithic refractive element and configured to inject electromagnetic energy into a first set of planes in said monolithic refractive element at an angle that causes total internal reflection of said electromagnetic energy between first and second refractive surfaces of said monolithic refractive element, N being greater than one; M input/output ports coupled to said monolithic refractive element and configured to extract electromagnetic energy travelling in a second set of planes in said monolithic refractive element, M being greater than one, said second set of planes being aparallel to said first set of planes; and a plurality of plungers, each of said plurality of plungers including a plunger extension coupled to a frustrating element, each of said plurality plungers coupled to said monolithic refractive element and corresponding to said N input/output ports and said M input/output ports and configured to frustrate said total internal reflection selectively to cause said electromagnetic energy to travel from ones of said first set of planes to ones of said second set of planes, wherein said electromagnetic energy is extracted in said second set of planes from a surface of said monolithic refractive element that is not said first or second refractive surface.