205 results about "Optical switch" patented technology

An optical switch is a device that selectively switches optical signals on or off or from one channel to another. The former is known as an optical (time-domain) switch or an optical modulator, while the latter is called an optical space switch or an optical router. Since the switching can be temporal or spatial, such switches are analogous to one-way or two-way switches in electrical circuits. In general, optical modulators and routers can be made from each other.