MEMS based spectral shaper using a broadband source

A method of spectrally shaping light comprising:

• generating light including a plurality of wavelengths;
• collimating the light;
• dispersing the collimated light into a number of dispersed beams separated by wavelength by passing the collimated light through a diffraction grating;
• focusing a 0th order of the number of dispersed beams from the diffraction grating in a first direction, and focus the light in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction onto a plurality of pixels of a linear spatial light modulator (SLM) to spread the light linearly across the pixels of the linear SLM;
• and
• individually controlling each pixel of the linear SLM to individually modulate a number of the dispersed beams separated by wavelength by diffracting light output from the linear SLM into higher orders,
• wherein a diffraction angle of light output from the linear SLM is greater than a cone-angle of the incoming light from the illumination source.

A spectral shaper comprising:

• a diffraction grating configured to receive a collimated beam including a plurality of wavelengths from an illumination source, and to disperse the collimated beam into a number of dispersed beams separated by wavelength;
• and
• a focusing element to focus a 0th order of the number of dispersed beams from the diffraction grating in a first direction, and focus the light in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction onto a plurality of pixels of a linear spatial light modulator (SLM) to spread the light linearly across the pixels of the linear SLM,
• wherein the linear SLM is configured to individually modulate the number of dispersed beams incident thereon by individually modulating a transmitted intensity the number of the dispersed beams, and by diffracting light output from the linear SLM into higher orders, wherein a diffraction angle of light output from the linear SLM is greater than the full cone-angle of the incoming light from the illumination source.