Patent ID: 7058251

Claim:
A wavelength selective optical switch optically coupled to a plurality of fibers in a fiber array, the optical switch comprising: a plurality of first cylindrical lenses positioned to collimate in a first axis an optical signal provided by a corresponding optical fiber in the fiber array forming a first axis collimated optical signal; a second cylindrical lens positioned to collimate in a second axis the first axis collimated optical signal to form a multi-axis collimated optical signal; a wavelength separating medium angularly diffracting light incident to the wavelength separating medium, the wavelength separating medium positioned to have incident thereon the multi-axis collimated optical signal; a rotationally symmetric lens positioned to focus the angularly diffracted light; and a plurality of beam directors in a beam director array, at least one beam director in the beam directors array positionable to direct at least some of the angularly diffracted light on an optical path through the rotationally symmetric lens, onto the wavelength separating medium, through the second cylindrical lens, and through a one of the plurality of first cylindrical lenses.