AN OPTICAL SWITCH AND A TIME DIVISION OPTICAL DEMULTIPLEXER USING SUCH SWITCH

摘要

The present invention relates to a high speed optical switch and the use of such switches to form a time division demultiplexer. The optical switch comprises a length of linear material (12) including an outer surface on a portion of which is formed a layer of nonlinear material (11) to form a nonlinear interface (10) at the boundary of the two materials. An input data light beam (14) is propagated in the linear material with a predetermined intensity and angle of incidence on the nonlinear interface to, by itself, cause total reflection of the input beam. A control light beam (11) is also selectively energized and directed at the nonlinear interface with an intensity and angle of incidence to cause a portion of the input data beam to be formed into a self-focused channel or beam propagating in the nonlinear material. The self-focused beam can then be detected at an edge of the nonlinear material.