Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical switch comprising a paraelectric photorefractive material, storing a hologram, possibly a latent hologram, whose reconstruction, or activation and reconstruction, is controllable by means of an applied electric field. The hologram may be formed by spatial modulation of the refractive index of the paraelectric photorefractive material, which arises from the quadratic electro-optic effect induced by the combined action of a spatially modulated space charge within the paraelectric photorefractive material and an external applied electric field. The present invention further relates to a switching network, such as a multistage network, for use in an optical communications system, incorporating at least one optical switch according to the invention.