Patent ID: 8934742
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An optical beam switch comprising: at least one input optical wave guide; a plurality of output optical wave guides; and an optical switching element between the at least one input optical wave guide and the plurality of output optical wave guides, wherein the optical switching element is configured to selectively switch a light beam that is guided in any one of the at least one input optical wave guide to any one of the output optical wave guides, the optical switching element comprises a beam propagation element having two mutually opposed end faces and an optical focusing system downstream of the beam propagation element, and wherein the beam propagation element or the optical focusing system is operable to be deflected transversely to an optical axis or torsionally twisted about the optical axis, wherein the beam propagation element comprises a transparent solid material, wherein the at least one input optical wave guide is attached directly or by an optical collimation system to a first end face of the beam propagation element, and wherein the output optical wave guides are arranged beside each other in at least one deflection direction or a twisting direction, and are attached directly or by the optical focusing system to a second end face of the beam propagation element.