Spatial switching device for optical beams.

摘要

The invention relates to switches which make it possible to optically connect at least one of the circuits of a set of input circuits to at least one circuit of a set of output circuits. It consists in illuminating a photosensitive medium (3) with parallel input beams from a set of input circuits (1). The input beams are then defracted on strata engraved in a photosensitive medium (3) and then reach one of the circuits of a set of photoreceptor circuits (4). These strata are engraved in this medium (3) by the interference of two engraving beams. These beams are emitted in succession at two different wavelengths lambda 1, lambda 2. The wavelength lambda l of the input beams does not lie within the range of spectral sensitivity of the photosensitive medium (3) and is such that <FRA>1<OVER> lambda l</FRA> = <FRA>m<OVER> lambda 1</FRA> +/- <FRA>n<OVER> lambda 2</FRA>; m and n being two integers. The invention makes it possible to construct electro-optical switches which can be used in particular in automatic telephone exchanges. <IMAGE>