Disclosed herein is an optical switch including a plurality of switch cells
arranged in the form of an nn matrix (n is an integer), each switch cell
having first and second input ends and first and second output ends, and 2(n-1)
reflection cells. The plural switch cells are selectively driven so that one of
the first and second input ends of the switch cells in the first column is optically
connected to one of the first and second output ends of the switch cells in the
n-th column. (n-1) ones of the 2(n-1) reflection cells are arranged so as to optically
connect the first output end of the switch cell in the first row, the i-th column
(i is an integer satisfying 1i(n-1)) to the first input end of
the switch cell in the first row, the (i+1)-th column. The remaining (n-1) reflection
cells are arranged so as to optically connect the second output end of the switch
cell in the n-th row, the j-th column (j is an integer satisfying 1j(n-1))
to the second input end of the switch cell in the n-th row, the (j+1)-th column.
This optical switch is suitable for size reduction and can eliminate the path dependence
of loss.
