Digital optical switch

Digital optical switch comprising:

• a first section, hereinafter called the input section, having a first incoming optical wave guide and a second incoming optical wave guide, which optical wave guides have a mutually approaching path up to a point within their interaction region,
• a second section, hereinafter called the output section, having a third outgoing optical wave guide and a fourth outgoing optical wave guide, which optical wave guides have a mutually receding path up to a point outside their interaction region, the optical wave guides of the output section connecting to those of the input section, and
• first means for controllably influencing the light propagation state in at least one of the optical wave guides in one of said sections, the optical wave guides both in the input section and in the output section mutually exhibiting, in their light propagation state, an asymmetry which is controllable by said first means at least in one of said sections, therefore called the switching section, characterized in that
• the optical wave guides of the input section incorporate a first converging curve which brings said first and second optical wave guides within each other's interaction region,
• and in that the optical wave guides of the output section incorporate a first diverging curve which brings the third and fourth optical wave guides outside each other's interaction region,
• the asymmetry essentially being achieved, at least in the section which is not the switching section, by that one of said first curves which is incorporated therein.