Patent ID: 7043110

Claim:
A method for wavelength-selective switching and equalization, the method comprising: dispersing an incoming multiplexed signal into wavelength components; focusing the wavelength components onto different portions of a controllable light diffractor; and controllably diffracting each wavelength component such that each component is individually modulated and arrives at an individually selected output without substantial crosstalk between the outputs, wherein diffracting each wavelength component is performed using separate groups of reflective members, wherein each group is divided into a first subgroup and a second subgroup, each subgroup having a same number of at least two reflective members, wherein the reflective members of the first subgroup are spaced in equally-spaced steps, the reflective members of the second subgroup are spaced in the same equally-spaced steps, and the second subgroup is displaced from the first subgroup by an intersubgroup displacement, wherein said spacing minimizes crosstalk between the outputs, and wherein the intersubgroup displacement is controllably varied to modulate a diffraction efficiency for equalization while said crosstalk remains at a minimum for switching functionality.