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Optical add-drop multiplexer architecture with reduced effect of mirror edge diffraction

  • US 7,352,927 B2
  • Filed: 04/11/2005
  • Issued: 04/01/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. Optical apparatus for switching multi-channel optical signals having spectral channels of different wavelengths, comprising:

  • a plurality of input and output ports for optical signals having one or more of said spectral channels;

    an optical beam expander and relay system adapted to receive the optical signals from one or more of the input ports, the optical beam expander and relay system being formed to convert the optical signals to spectral beams having a predetermined elongated beam profile;

    a wavelength separator for spatially separating the spectral beams into constituent spectral channels; and

    an array of channel micromirrors, each channel micromirror of the array being positioned to receive one of said constituent spectral channels, the micromirrors being rotatable about a switching axis to switch said one spectral channel to a selected output port;

    wherein each channel micromirror is rotatable about an attenuation axis to vary the coupling of the switched spectral channel to the selected output port to control a power level of the spectral channel output at such selected port, wherein the attenuation axis is different from the switching axis,wherein the channel micromirrors and/or the input or output ports and/or wavelength separator are configured to reduce an increase in signal intensity of a spectral channel near side edges of a passband for that spectral channel relative to a central portion of the passband due to diffraction of that spectral channel from an edge of that spectral channel'"'"'s associated micromirror, wherein the edge is substantially parallel to the attenuation axis and the signal is attenuated by rotating the channel micromirror about the attenuation axis.

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