Patent ID: 6778722
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
An apparatus comprising an optical switch which includes:an input for optical radiation; an output spaced from said input; and a first region disposed optically between said input and said output, said first region including a plurality of second regions and a third region, said second regions being provided at spaced locations within said first region, and said third region having an index of refraction and being a portion of said first region other than said second regions; said second regions including first and second groups of said second regions which are mutually exclusive, said second regions of said second group being arranged along a path which extends through said first region from said input to said output and which is free of said second regions of said first group; said switch having a first operational mode in which each of said second regions has an index of refraction different from said index of refraction of said third region so that said third region and said second regions cooperate to prevent optical radiation with a predetermined wavelength from propagating within said first region; said switch having a second operational mode in which each of said second regions of said first group has an index of refraction different from said index of refraction of said third region so that said third region and said second regions of said first group cooperate to prevent radiation with said predetermined wavelength from propagating within portions of said first region other than along said path, and in which each of said second regions of said second group has an index of refraction selected in relation to said index of refraction of said third region so as to permit radiation with said predetermined wavelength to propagate through said first region along said path from said input toward said output; wherein each of said second regions of said second group has therein a portion of a material with different operational states in which said material has respective different indexes of refraction; including structure for facilitating selective control of each said portion of said material so as to cause each said portion to be in a selected one of first and second states in which said portion respectively has first and second indexes of refraction when said switch is respectively in said first and second operational modes, said first and second indexes of refraction being different; and wherein said material is a liquid crystal material.