This invention provides a novel wavelength-separating-routing (WSR) apparatusthat uses a diffraction grating (101) to separate a multi-wavelength opticalsignal by wavelength into multiple spectral channels, which are than focusedonto an array of corresponding channel micromirrors (220). The channelmicromirrors are individually controllable and continuously pivotable toreflect the spectral channels into multiple output ports. As such, theinventive WSR apparatus is capable of routing the spectral channels on achannel-by-channel basis and coupling any spectral channel into any one of theoutput ports. The WSR apparatus of the present invention may be furtherequipped with servo-control and spectral power-management capabilities,thereby maintaining the coupling efficiencies of the spectral channels intothe output ports at desired values. The WSR apparatus of the present inventioncan be used to construct a novel class of dynamically reconfigurable opticaladd-drop multiplexers (OADMs) for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)optical networking applications.
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