A magneto-optical switch includes a birefringent crystal that receives a light beam, a half-wave plate pair that receives the light beam from the birefringent crystal, a Faraday rotator that receive the light beam from the half-wave plate, a prism that receives the light beam from the Faraday rotator, and a reflective surface that receives the light beam from the Faraday rotator. The Faraday rotator receives an electromagnetic field to change the polarization of the light beam as it passes through the Faraday rotator.