Optical processing device
First Claim
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1. An optical processing device, comprising:
- a plurality of optical ports;
a dispersion element for spatially dispersing an optical beam received from the optical ports into a plurality of wavelength components;
a lens arrangement for focusing the wavelength components received from the dispersion element;
an optical path conversion system for receiving the focused plurality of wavelength components from the lens arrangement and selectively directing at least one of the wavelength components to one of the optical ports, said optical path conversion system including a digital micromirror device (DMD) from which at least one wavelength component is reflected at least twice before being directed to a selected one of the optical ports, said DMD performing optical processing on the wavelength component when it is reflected from the DMD a first or second time; and
an optical path length compensator for adjusting an optical path length traversed by the wavelength component selectively directed to one of the optical ports to improve the optical processing performed on the wavelength component.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for processing an optical beam. The method includes spatially dispersing an optical beam received from an optical port into a plurality of wavelength components. The wavelength components are focused and at least one of the components is selectively directed to one of the optical ports by reflecting the focused wavelength component at least twice from a DMD before being directed to a selected one of the optical ports. A resolution of the focused wavelength component is optimized when it is reflected from the DMD a first or second time at the expense of the other time when it is reflected.
10 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An optical processing device, comprising:
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a plurality of optical ports; a dispersion element for spatially dispersing an optical beam received from the optical ports into a plurality of wavelength components; a lens arrangement for focusing the wavelength components received from the dispersion element; an optical path conversion system for receiving the focused plurality of wavelength components from the lens arrangement and selectively directing at least one of the wavelength components to one of the optical ports, said optical path conversion system including a digital micromirror device (DMD) from which at least one wavelength component is reflected at least twice before being directed to a selected one of the optical ports, said DMD performing optical processing on the wavelength component when it is reflected from the DMD a first or second time; and an optical path length compensator for adjusting an optical path length traversed by the wavelength component selectively directed to one of the optical ports to improve the optical processing performed on the wavelength component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for processing an optical beam, comprising:
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spatially dispersing an optical beam received from an optical port into a plurality of wavelength components; focusing the wavelength components; selectively directing at least one of the focused wavelength components to one of the optical ports by reflecting the focused wavelength component at least twice from a DMD before being directed to a selected one of the optical ports; and optimizing a resolution of the focused wavelength component when it is reflected from the DMD a first or second time at the expense of the other time when it is reflected.
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Specification