Patent ID: 7450309

Claim:
An optical signal manipulator whose components are monolithically integrated on a single substrate for modifying an optical signal, the optical signal manipulator comprising the following components: a. an input waveguide, the input waveguide directing the first optical signal to a first grating waveguide; b. the first grating waveguide, the first grating waveguide receiving the first optical signal from the input waveguide and directing the first optical signal parallel to a plane of the substrate, wherein the first grating waveguide is a planar waveguide; c. a first curved grating mirror, the first curved grating mirror decomposing the first optical signal into a plurality of spectral components and focusing the plurality of spectral components in a plurality of angular directions; d. a plurality of signal-processing elements, the plurality of signal-processing elements manipulating the plurality of spectral components to generate a plurality of modulated spectral components; e. a second curved grating mirror, the second curved grating mirror combining the plurality of modulated spectral components to generate a second optical signal; and f. a second grating waveguide, the second grating waveguide receiving the second optical signal from the second curved grating mirror and directing the second optical signal parallel to plane of the substrate, wherein the second grating waveguide is a planar waveguide; g. an output waveguide, the output waveguide receiving the output signal from the second curved grating mirror and directing the output signal out from the optical signal manipulator.