Variable spacing diffraction grating

A variable spacing diffraction grating, comprising:

• a plurality of coplanar beam arms movably disposed on a substrate such that the plurality of coplanar beam arms may move independently of the substrate, the beam arms arranged adjacent to one another in a spiral, each beam arm having a first end and a free end and separated from adjacent beam arms by a first spacing, the first ends of the beam arms being interconnected at a location approximately at the center of the spiral, the plurality of coplanar beam arms arranged such that moving the free end of one of the beam arms relative to the other beam arm changes the spacing between the beam arms within the plane of the beam arms from the first spacing to a second spacing.

A method for varying the spacing in a variable spacing diffraction grating, comprising:

• disposing a series of interconnected coplanar beams separated by an initial distance on a substrate such that the coplanar beams may move independently of the substrate, the initial distance defining a first diffraction angle;
• and
• applying a force to one end of the series of interconnected beams such that the distance between each of the beams changes within the plane of the beams from the initial distance to a second distance, the second distance defining a second diffraction angle.

A diffraction grating having continuously variable spacing, comprising:

• a plurality of coplanar diffraction beams separated from each other by a first distance and interconnected to form a grating having a first end and a second end, the first end of the grating movable relative to the second end, such that moving the first end of the grating changes the separation between adjacent diffraction beams from the first separation to a second separation in the plane of the grating.