Magnetooptical 2×2 switch for single-mode fibers

An optical switch for single-mode fibers is presented in this paper. A novel polarizing prism is introduced to make the 2 input, 2 output optical switch insertion loss low and independent of the polarization state of the input fiber. This switch operates by one electric pulse with a voltage of only 2.5 V and a current of 35 mA. The insertion loss was 1.2 dB, its fluctuation for different input polarizations was within 0.03 dB, and the far-end crosstalk was −26 dB at a wavelength of 1.3 μm. The shock resistance of the switch was confirmed during an acceleration of 100 g.