Patent ID: 6915031

Claim:
An optical switch comprising: a polarization splitter that divides an input beam into a first polarized component and a second polarized component, the polarization splitter including a material that changes its refractive index in response to voltage; a first polarization-sensitive deflector positioned to receive the first polarized component from the polarization splitter and deflect the first polarized component by a first predetermined angle; a second polarization-sensitive deflector positioned to receive the second polarized component from the polarization splitter and deflect the second polarized component by a second predetermined angle; and a plurality of polarization combining systems, wherein one of the plurality of polarization combining systems is positioned to receive a deflected first component from the first deflector and a deflected second component from the second deflector to combine the first and the second deflected components into an output beam propagating through an output fiber, each of the polarization combining systems comprising: an input lens that receives the first and the second polarized components and directs the received components to a poled material, wherein the input lens is designed and located to focus on a plane farther away from the input lens than a light exiting surface of the poled material; said poled material, which changes its refractive index in response to voltage and directs the first deflected component and the second deflected component to a common area to be combined; a polarization combiner that combines the first deflected component and the second deflected component to generate an output beam; and an output lens optically coupled to the polarization combiner, the output lens focusing the output beam into the output fiber.