Photonic band gap router

1. An arrangement comprising:

a photonic band-gap assembly having a photonic band-gap in first, second, and third directions that are not all coplanar, the photonic band-gap assembly comprising:

at least one input optical wave guide in a first plane, the first plane being defined by the at least one input optical wave guide and the first and second direction; and

at least one output optical wave guide non-coplanar with the at least one input optical wave guide, wherein the at least one output optical wave guide is in a second plane different from the first plane, the second plane being at least partially defined by the at least one output optical wave guide and the third direction; and

wherein the photonic band-gap assembly includes at least one routing element responsive to signals to selectively route a signal from one or more of the at least one input optical wave guide to one or more of the at least one output optical wave guide.

2. An arrangement comprising:

a photonic band-gap assembly having a photonic band-gap in first, second, and third directions that are not all coplanar, the photonic band-gap assembly comprising a plurality of input wave guides and a plurality of output wave guides;

wherein a first wave guide in the plurality of input wave guides is in a first plane, the first plane being defined by the first wave guide and the first and second directions;

wherein a second wave guide in the plurality of output wave guides is in a second plane different from the first plane, the second plane being at least partially defined by the second wave guide and the third direction; and

at least one routing element responsive to signals to selectively direct a signal or signals from at least one of the input wave guides to at least one of the output wave guides.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the photonic band-gap assembly further comprises:

a semiconductor material.

4. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the at least one routing element responsive to signals further comprises:

a photoresponsive material.

5. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the at least one routing element responsive to signals further comprises:

a photorefractive or photoabsorptive material.

6. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the at least one routing element responsive to signals further comprises:

a first set of routing elements having a first set of routing directions, and a second set of routing elements having a second set of routing directions, the second set of routing directions substantially orthogonal to the first set of routing directions.

7. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the at least one routing element responsive to signals further comprises:

four sets of routing elements, each set having a routing direction different than the others.

8. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the at least one routing element responsive to signals further comprises:

a material having a reflectivity or refraction index that varies according to at least one of an applied electrical, optical, or magnetic influence.

9. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the at least one routing element responsive to signals further comprises:

a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) element.

10. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the at least one routing element responsive to signals further comprises:

a piezo-electric crystal.

11. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of output wave guides further comprise:

one or more wave guides adapted to produce a substantially one hundred eighty degree turn in the direction of a signal.

12. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of output wave guides further comprise:

one or more wave guides adapted to produce a substantially two hundred seventy degree turn in the direction of a signal.

13. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the input wave guide in the plurality of input wave guides and the output wave guide in the plurality of output wave guides further comprise:

one or more wave guides shaped to produce a substantially ninety degree turn in the direction of a signal.

14. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the input wave guide in the plurality of input wave guides and the output wave guide in the plurality of output wave guides further comprise:

defect regions in a repeating atomic structure.

15. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the input wave guide in the plurality of input wave guides and the output wave guide in the plurality of output wave guides further comprise:

regions comprising material having a substantially different dielectric property than surrounding material.

16. The arrangement of claim 2 , further comprising:

a first wave guide adapted to transmit a plurality of wavelengths, the first wave guide aligned to a second wave guide adapted to transmit a subset of the plurality of wavelengths and to block transmission of at least one of the plurality of wavelengths.

17. A method comprising:

directing a signal along a first path, in a first plane, in a first region having a three-dimensional photonic band gap, the three-dimensional photonic band gap having a first photonic band gap in a first direction, a second photonic band gap in a second direction different from the first direction, and a third photonic band gap in a third direction different from the first and second directions, wherein the first, second, and third directions are not all coplanar;

routing the signal from the first path in the first plane to a second path in a second plane, the second plane being in the first region and different from and non-coplanar with the first plane, by altering at least a portion of one or more of the first, second, or third photonic band gaps; and

directing the signal along the second path in the second plane.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein routing the signal from the first path in the first plane to a second path in a second plane includes routing through substantially a ninety degree turn in a direction of propagation of the signal.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein routing the signal from the first path in the first plane to a second path in a second plane includes routing through substantially a one hundred eighty degree turn in a direction of propagation of the signal.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein routing the signal from the first path in the first plane to a second path in a second plane includes routing through substantially a two hundred seventy degree turn in a direction of propagation of the input signal.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein altering at least a portion of one or more of the first, second, or third photonic band gaps includes actuating a first routing element.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein altering at least a portion of one or more of the first, second, or third photonic band gaps includes receiving a communication from control logic.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein directing a signal along a first path, in a first plane, in a first region having a three-dimensional photonic band gap includes directing the signal with the three-dimensional photonic band gap.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein directing the signal along the second path in the second plane includes directing the signal with the three-dimensional photonic band gap.