Patent ID: 8203775

Claim:
An optical switch comprising: a bistable component comprising one or more first beams and one or more second beams; a reflective component; said one or more first beams extending from a first support to a location on said reflective component; said one or more second beams extending from a second support to said location on said reflective component; said reflective component being operatively connected to said bistable component; a first electrothermal bent beam actuator component extending from a first electrode to a second electrode; a first contacting component operatively connected to said first electrothermal bent beam actuator component; said first electrothermal bent beam actuator component and said first contacting component disposed such as to enable advancing said bistable component and said reflective component from a first stable configuration to a second stable configuration; a second electrothermal bent beam actuator component extending from a third electrode to a fourth electrode; and a second contacting component operatively connected to said second electrothermal bent beam actuator component; said second electrothermal bent beam actuator component and said second contacting component disposed such as to enable advancing said bistable component and said reflective component from the second stable configuration to the first stable configuration.