Dynamic optical filter having a spatial light modulator

Abstract From the Canadian patent

An dynamic optical filter 10 is provided to selectively attenuate or filter a wavelength band(s) of light (i.e. optical channel(s)) or a group(s) of wavelength bands of an optical WDM input signal 12. The optical filter is controllable or programmable to selectively provide a desired filter function. The optical filter 10 includes a spatial light modulator 36 which comprises , an array of micromirrors 52 effectively forms a two-dimensional diffraction grating mounted in a retro-reflecting configuration. Each optical channel 14 is dispersed separately or overlappingly onto the array of micro-mirrors 52 along a spectral axis or direction 55 such that each optical channel or group of …