Patent ID: 7952695

Claim:
An optical performance monitor for measuring optical power, or central wavelength, or optical signal-to-noise ratio of optical signals in a fiberoptic network, the monitor comprising: a first input waveguide for emitting light containing first optical signals; an arrayed waveguide demultiplexor for separating light emitted by the first input waveguide into optical frequency components, the arrayed waveguide demultiplexor having: an input slab, an array of grating waveguides coupled to the input slab, an output slab coupled to the array of the grating waveguides, and a star coupler coupled to the output slab; wherein the star coupler has a plurality of output waveguides, wherein each of said output waveguides is coupled to a photodiode for producing an electrical signal in response to light impinging thereon; a coupler for coupling light emitted by the first input waveguide to a tiltable micro-electro-mechanical mirror having a first angle of tilt, and for free-space coupling light reflected from the micro-electro-mechanical minor to the input slab of the arrayed waveguide demultiplexor, at a location defined by the first angle of tilt; and a controller for continuously scanning the first angle of tilt of the micro-electro-mechanical mirror during a first cycle of scanning, and for collecting first electrical signals from the photodiodes during the first cycle of scanning, and for combining the first electrical signals so as to obtain the optical power, or the central wavelength, or the optical signal-to-noise ratio of the first optical signals in the fiberoptic network.