Reconfigurable sampling of the electric field at the reflecting surface of folded arrayed waveguide grating multiplexers

We describe the use of a reflective arrayed waveguide grating multiplexer in conjunction with a digital micromirror device to modulate the electric field distribution in the grating. Modulation of the electric field is accomplished by turning individual digital mirrors on and off. By imposing a reconfigurable grating superstructure on the digital mirror array, we can change the free-spectral range of the device and alter the overall transmission spectra. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with model calculations. This type of a device is expected to be useful in generation of reconfigurable sequences of ultrashort pulses.