Optical switch

Researchers at Germany`s Heinrich Hert¥Institut fur Nachrichtentechnik GmbH in Berlin have developed an optical switch chip that serves as a crossconnect switch operating within 1/1000 of a second. A 45ٴ-millimeter prototype switch is currently being field-trialed by Deutsche Telekom AG. When one of the waveguides of the opto-coupler is electrically heated, the refractive index is modified and causes the light to change to the nearby waveguide. The heater electrodes are controlled by a microcontroller and eight digital-to-analog converters.