Broadband optical equalizer using fault-tolerant digital micromirrors

For the first time, the design and demonstration of a near continuous spectral processing mode broadband equalizer is described using the earlier proposed macro-pixel spatial approach for multi-wavelength fiber-optic attenuation in combination with a high spectral resolution broadband transmissive volume Bragg grating. The demonstrated design features low loss and low polarization dependent loss with broadband operation. Such an analog mode spectral processor can impact optical applications ranging from test and instrumentation to dynamic all-optical networks.