| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical crossbar switch in which problems in a mechanical assembly that crosstalk, propagation delay and wavelength distortion are generated are solved, whose cost is low, whose characteristics are not affected by temperature and in which periodic calibrations are not needed. SOLUTION: This optical crossbar switch includes the array of modified liquid crystal pixels(LCPs) (hence, they are called simply as LCPs). Each LCP is constituted by adding dichroic pigments into liquid crystal and the liquid crystal does not have a polarization plate. The array includes N×M pieces of LCPs and N is >0, M is >0 and M may be equal to N. Moreover, the array is connected to (a) N lines of optical fibers for receiving N pieces of input optical signals (that is, input optical channel), and (b) M lines of optical fibers providing M pieces of output optical paths (that is, output optical channels) and (c) a control element. The control element turns ON and, also, turns OFF the individual cell (that is, the LCP) in order to switch at least an input optical signal among the N pieces of input optical signals to at least an output optical signal path among the M pieces of output optical signal paths. |
