Patent ID: 9746746
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: G02B,G02F,H04J,H04Q

Claim:
1. An optical switch comprising: a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide, wherein the first optical waveguide is less than 5 microns in width, wherein the second optical waveguide is less than 5 microns in width, wherein the first optical waveguide is optically coupled with the second optical waveguide, wherein a section of the first optical waveguide is partially parallel to a section of the second optical waveguide, wherein the said section of the first optical waveguide is positioned at less than 5 microns or at 5 microns, with respect to the said section of the second optical waveguide, wherein the said section of the first optical waveguide and the said section of the second optical waveguide comprise: (i) an ultra thin-film of thickness less than 0.1 microns, or (ii) a polymeric thin-film, wherein the polymeric thin-film further comprises: vanadium dioxide particles, wherein each vanadium dioxide particle has a diameter less than 0.5 microns, or (iii) a mesh of metal nanowires, wherein the mesh of metal nanowires comprises: vanadium dioxide particles, wherein each vanadium dioxide particle has a diameter less than 0.5 microns,