Patent ID: 6920258

Claim:
An optical switch comprising: a first input port; a first polarization beam splitter receiving light signals from the first input port and splitting the light signals into a first and a second polarized beams, said two beams having orthogonal polarizations with respect to each other; a liquid crystal element changeable between a first and second states; a second polarization beam splitter; and a first and second output ports adjacent the second polarization beam splitter, wherein, the first and second polarized beams from the first polarization beam splitter respectively pass through the liquid crystal element and reach the second polarization beam splitter and the second polarization beam splitter combines the two polarized beams from the liquid crystal element into an output beam and outputs the output beam to an output port, and when the liquid crystal element is in a first state, input light from the first input port is transmitted to the first output port, and when the liquid crystal element is in a second state, input light from the first input port is transmitted to the second output port, two collimating subassemblies respectively located between the second polarization beam splitter and each output port, wherein each collimating subassembly includes a collimating lens and a GRIN lens, the collimating lens is adjacent to the second polarization beam splatter for collimating light transmitted from the second polarization beam splatter to the corresponding GRIN lens, and the GRIN lens is adjacent to the corresponding output port for directing light from the collimating lens to the output port.