Patent ID: 7447397

Claim:
An optical switch matrix, comprising: a plurality of input waveguides; a plurality of output waveguides; and one or more switching nodes and one or more intermediate waveguides to interconnect any one of the input waveguides to any one of the output waveguides, wherein at least one switching node includes a first switch coupling an incoming waveguide to an intermediate waveguide and a second switch coupling the intermediate waveguide to an outgoing waveguide, and wherein the second switch includes a first and second input ports and a first and second output ports, the first input port receiving the intermediate waveguide and the first output port coupling to the outgoing waveguide, wherein at least one of the second switches is capable of partially switching to divert at least a portion of an optical signal traversing through the second output port of the respective second switch, while allowing a remainder of the optical signal traveling through the first output port; and at least one photonic detector coupled to a second output port of at least one of the second switches, wherein the respective photonic detector receives the portion of the optical signal diverted via the second output port.