Patent ID: 7035501

Claim:
An optical switch system comprising an array of input optical fibers; an array of first output optical fibers; and a switching matrix of cholesteric liquid crystal cell units, each liquid crystal cell unit reflecting or transmitting light selectively responsive to control signals and arranged with respect to said array of input optical fibers and said array of first output optical fibers so that light signals from an input optical fiber may be selectively reflected or transmitted by said liquid crystal cell unit into one of said first output optical fibers, wherein said array of input optical fibers and said array of first output optical fibers comprise two-dimensional arrays, and said switching matrix of cholesteric liquid crystal cell units comprises a three-dimensional array, said switching matrix of cholesteric liquid crystal cell units comprising a plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal cell unit mounting plates, each cholesteric liquid crystal cell unit mounting plate having at least a one-dimensional array of said cholesteric liquid crystal cell units and arranged at an angle with respect to said array of input optical fibers and said array of first output optical fibers.