Patent ID: 7231110

Claim:
A wavelength selector switch comprising: a first optical input port to which a first wavelength-multiplexed light beam with a first polarization angle is input; a second optical input port to which a second wavelength-multiplexed light beam with a second polarization angle is input; a first optical output port; a second optical output port; a refracting plate that refracts the second wavelength-multiplexed light beam at a refraction angle; an optical splitter/coupler that spatially splits into a plurality of wavelength components the first wavelength-multiplexed light beam and the second wavelength-multiplexed light beam refracted, respectively; an optical system that changes the wavelength components into parallel light beams; and a polarization controller that selectively changes a polarization angle of each of the parallel light beams between the first and second polarization angles, and reflects the parallel light beams, wherein the optical system condenses on the optical splitter/coupler the parallel light beams reflected, the optical splitter/coupler multiplexes into a third wavelength-multiplexed light beam the parallel light beams condensed, and the refracting plate refracts wavelength components, of the third wavelength-multiplexed light beam, having the second polarization angle at a refraction angle to direct the wavelength components having the second polarization angle to the second optical output port and to direct wavelength components, of the third wavelength-multiplexed light beam, having the first polarization angle to the first optical output port.