Patent ID: 7263253

Claim:
Optical apparatus for switching multi-channel optical signals having spectral channels of different wavelengths, comprising: fiber coupled collimators providing a plurality of input and output ports for optical signals having one or more of said spectral channels; an anamorphic system receiving an optical signal from an input port of the fiber collimators and being formed to convert the optical signal to a beam having a predetermined beam profile; a diffraction grating for spatially separating the beam into constituent spectral channel beams; focusing optics for converting the constituent spectral channels into channel beams having an elongated channel beam profile; an array of biaxial channel micromirrors, the micromirrors having an elongated shape compatible with said elongated channel beam profile, and each micromirror of the array being positioned to receive one of said constituent spectral channels; and a control system for controlling the rotation of a channel micromirror of said array receiving said one spectral channel about a first switching axis to switch said one spectral channel to a selected output port, and for controlling the rotation of the channel micromirror about a second attenuation axis to vary the coupling of said one spectral channel to the selected output port to control the power level of said one spectral channel output at such selected port for a selected power level.