Deformable grating light modulator array for use as wavelength-selective switch

Abstract

Deformable grating light modulator (GLM) also known as grating light valve (GLV) is a Micro-Opto-Electro Mechanical System (MOEMS) grating which is originally presented as a deformable grating optical modulator by Solgaard in 19921. Since then it has been developed for uses in various applications such as in display technology, graphic printing, lithography and optical communications2, 3. We are proposing the use of deformable grating light modulators as dispersive element to de-multiplex optical input signals in a wavelength selective switching system which is originally presented by Mechels and Muller (2003) as a 1D MEMS-based wavelength switching system4. In this paper, we discuss the performance of the grating system in various geometries and designs supported with numerical simulations.