SScientists at Bell Labs, the R&D segment of Lucent Technologies in Murray Hill, N.J., have demonstrated a device that incorporates free-space optics and micromirrors to route and switch individual wavelengths transmitted simultaneously over optical fiber.
The mirrors add or drop specific wavelengths, switching them in and out of transmission fiber without interfering with other signals. The device could prove suitable for high capacity optical networks that employ wavelength-division-multiplexing technology. In experiments at Bell Labs, scientists used the array of micromirrors to replace individual switches.