Optical switch

An optical switch comprising:

• a connector to which one or more multi-core fibers each comprising multiple cores are coupled;
• a lens arranged so that input lights from the one or more multi-core fibers coupled to the connector passes through the lens;
• a liquid crystal polarization grating;
• and
• a MEMS tilt mirror array comprising multiple MEMS tilt mirrors,
• the lens being arranged so that, to each of the multiple MEMS tilt mirrors, an input light propagates from a corresponding one of the multiple cores,
• each of the multiple MEMS tilt mirrors being configured to switch a propagation path of the input light from a corresponding core so that, by reflecting the input light from the corresponding core at a tilt angle controlled by a controller, a corresponding reflected light propagates to a core of the multiple cores selected by the controller,
• the liquid crystal polarization grating being arranged so that the input light from a core corresponding to each of the multiple MEMS tilt mirrors is incident on a corresponding MEMS tilt mirror through the liquid crystal polarization grating as a zeroth order diffracted light, and
• the liquid crystal polarization grating being controlled by the controller, and configured to be able to change intensity of the zeroth order diffracted light.