Patent ID: 7146068

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first polarization beam splitter/combiner through which an optical beam is to be directed; a first 1×2 optical switch coupled to the first polarization beam splitter/combiner to receive a first polarization mode of the optical beam; a second 1×2 optical switch coupled the first polarization beam splitter/combiner to receive a second polarization mode of the optical beam; a second polarization beam splitter/combiner coupled to a first output of the first 1×2 optical switch and coupled to a first output of the second 1×2 optical switch, the second polarization beam splitter coupled to combine the first and second polarization modes of the optical beam received from the respective first outputs of the first and second optical switches; and a third polarization beam splitter/combiner coupled to a second output of the first 1×2 optical switch and coupled to a second output of the second 1×2 optical switch, the third polarization beam splitter coupled to combine the first and second polarization modes of the optical beam received from the respective second outputs of the first and second optical switches, the first, second and third polarization beam splitters and the first and second 1×2 optical switches disposed in a semiconductor material layer.