An optical switching apparatus comprising: a first beam splitting apparatus configured to split a first optical input signal into first and second optical signals, wherein the first optical signal has substantially the same polarization state as the second optical signal; a switching matrix comprising: a plurality of first outputs (440, 442) of the switching matrix and a plurality of second outputs (444, 446) of the switching matrix, the first outputs (440, 442) and second outputs (444, 446) located at opposite sides of the switching matrix, each first output of the switching matrix associated with a respective one of the second outputs of the switching matrix, wherein two associated output ports of the switching matrix are connected with an output optical waveguide (448, 450), a first input optical waveguide comprising a first end and a second end, the first input optical waveguide configured to receive the first optical signal from the first beam splitting apparatus at the first end and the second optical signal from the first beam splitting apparatus at the second end; and a plurality of optical switches (470, 472, 474, 476), each optical switch configured to selectively direct the first optical signal propagating in a first direction along the first input optical waveguide into a respective one of the output optical waveguides (448, 450) towards one of the first outputs (440, 442) of the switching matrix, and selectively direct the second optical signal propagating in a second direction along the first input optical waveguide into the respective one of the output optical waveguides (448, 450) towards the second output (444, 446) of the switching matrix associated with the one of the first outputs of the switching matrix; a plurality of beam combining apparatus (460, 464), each beam combining apparatus configured to combine optical signals from a respective one of the first outputs of the switching matrix and its associated second output of the switching matrix. a first beam splitting apparatus configured to split a first optical input signal into first and second optical signals, wherein the first optical signal has substantially the same polarization state as the second optical signal; a switching matrix comprising: a plurality of first outputs (440, 442) of the switching matrix and a plurality of second outputs (444, 446) of the switching matrix, the first outputs (440, 442) and second outputs (444, 446) located at opposite sides of the switching matrix, each first output of the switching matrix associated with a respective one of the second outputs of the switching matrix, wherein two associated output ports of the switching matrix are connected with an output optical waveguide (448, 450), a first input optical waveguide comprising a first end and a second end, the first input optical waveguide configured to receive the first optical signal from the first beam splitting apparatus at the first end and the second optical signal from the first beam splitting apparatus at the second end; and a plurality of optical switches (470, 472, 474, 476), each optical switch configured to selectively direct the first optical signal propagating in a first direction along the first input optical waveguide into a respective one of the output optical waveguides (448, 450) towards one of the first outputs (440, 442) of the switching matrix, and selectively direct the second optical signal propagating in a second direction along the first input optical waveguide into the respective one of the output optical waveguides (448, 450) towards the second output (444, 446) of the switching matrix associated with the one of the first outputs of the switching matrix; a plurality of first outputs (440, 442) of the switching matrix and a plurality of second outputs (444, 446) of the switching matrix, the first outputs (440, 442) and second outputs (444, 446) located at opposite sides of the switching matrix, each first output of the switching matrix associated with a respective one of the second outputs of the switching matrix, wherein two associated output ports of the switching matrix are connected with an output optical waveguide (448, 450), a first input optical waveguide comprising a first end and a second end, the first input optical waveguide configured to receive the first optical signal from the first beam splitting apparatus at the first end and the second optical signal from the first beam splitting apparatus at the second end; and a plurality of optical switches (470, 472, 474, 476), each optical switch configured to selectively direct the first optical signal propagating in a first direction along the first input optical waveguide into a respective one of the output optical waveguides (448, 450) towards one of the first outputs (440, 442) of the switching matrix, and selectively direct the second optical signal propagating in a second direction along the first input optical waveguide into the respective one of the output optical waveguides (448, 450) towards the second output (444, 446) of the switching matrix associated with the one of the first outputs of the switching matrix; a plurality of beam combining apparatus (460, 464), each beam combining apparatus configured to combine optical signals from a respective one of the first outputs of the switching matrix and its associated second output of the switching matrix.