Patent ID: 6519022
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: G02B,G02F,H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
An optical routing switch comprising:a polarizer converting an input beam into a polarized beam; a first liquid crystal cell having a first state in which the polarization of said beam from said polarizer is rotated by a first angle, &thgr;1, and a second state in which the polarization of said beam from said polarizer is rotated by a second angle, &thgr;2, wherein the state of said first liquid crystal cell is determined by a control signal; a second liquid crystal cell having a first state in which the polarization of said beam from said first liquid crystal cell is rotated by âˆ’&thgr;1, and a second state in which the polarization of said beam from said first liquid crystal cell is rotated by âˆ’&thgr;2, wherein the state of said second liquid crystal cell is determined by a control signal; and a polarization-dependent routing element routing said beam from said second liquid crystal cell along either of two alternative optical paths based on the polarization of said beam from said second liquid crystal cell.