Optical Switches

Optical switches are of great importance for the development of the optical communication system and high data transfer speed in integrated optical circuits. The function of optical switches is to switch the optical signal from one route to another route effectively. In this chapter, several optical switches are discussed by providing the different principles for the operation of the different switches. These switches are implemented by several methods and each method depends on a different mechanism for its operation. The various methods used are briefly described in this chapter.