Patent ID: 7254293

Claim:
An optical wavelength switch, comprising: an input port to receive a first beam having a plurality of wavelengths including a first wavelength; an add port to receive a second beam having the first wavelength; a cross-connect switch to receive the first beam from the input port and to receive the second beam from the add port; a wavelength dispersive element coupled to the cross-connect switch to receive the first beam from the cross-connect switch, the wavelength dispersive element to separate the plurality of wavelengths of the first beam into a plurality of free-space beams each having a separate wavelength, the free-space beams including a first free-space beam corresponding to the first wavelength and a second free-space beam corresponding to a second wavelength; a mirror array coupled to the wavelength dispersive element to receive the plurality of wavelengths of the first beam, the mirror array comprising a plurality of mirrors, each mirror rotatable in two axes; an output port to receive the second beam and the second free-space beam from the cross-connect switch; and a drop port to receive the first free-space beam from the cross-connect switch, wherein the input port, the add port, the output port and the drop port being arranged in a two-dimensional manner.