Patent ID: 7822303

Claim:
A wavelength selective switch comprising: at least a first port for inputting at least a first multi-wavelength optical signal; a plurality of output ports for outputting different wavelength components of said at least first multi-wavelength optical signal; a polarization transformation device for converting each of said at least first multi-wavelength optical signals into a pair of multi-wavelength optical beams disposed in a predetermined plane and having the same predefined polarization; a beam expanding device for laterally expanding said multi-wavelength optical beams of predefined polarizations in said predetermined plane; a wavelength dispersive element receiving said laterally expanded optical beams of predefined polarizations and dispersing wavelength components thereof in said predetermined plane; a polarization rotation element, pixilated generally along the direction of said dispersion, adapted to rotate the polarization of light passing through pixels thereof according to control signals applied to said pixels, such that the polarization of at least one wavelength component of said dispersed optical beams is rotated according to said control signal applied to the pixel through which said at least one wavelength component passes; and a pixilated beam steering element disposed such that said at least one wavelength component passing through a pixel of said polarization element is steered towards its desired output port according to the settings of the pixel of said beam steering device associated with said at least one wavelength component.