Optical signal switching unit

Abstract

An optical signal switching unit causing no instantaneous cutoff in switching without providing a latency time is obtained. The optical signal switching unit has a plurality of input waveguides and a plurality of output waveguides for switching the course of each optical signal on intersections between the waveguides and outputting the optical signal to the output waveguides. This optical signal switching unit comprises a plurality of optical switches and a switch state control part controlling the states of the plurality of optical switches thereby controlling formation of the output optical signal, while the optical switches take binary states including a first route state providing the optical signal with a course and a second course state providing the optical signal with another course as well as an intermediate state partially including both of the binary states.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.