The invention provides a multifunctional optical switch that among other things, optionally can function as an optical wavelength division multiplexer, wavelength division demultiplexer, add-drop multiplexer and/or inter-connect device. The invention further provides novel methods of manufacturing the optical switch. The optical switch can comprise a single layer, and optimally includes of a plurality of layers which each comprise an optical nonlinear second-order polymer. The optical nonlinear second-order polymer present in each layer differs from that present in any other layer in terms of its absorption maximum (i.e., due to possession of different chromophores).