The invention includes an apparatus for modulating an optical signal. The apparatus includes a modulating mechanism comprising a plurality of modulating component arrays, each modulating component array comprising a plurality of modulating components, wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of modulating components in each modulating component array are separated by gaps, and wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of modulating component arrays are offset along a dispersion direction of an incident optical signal such that the gaps associated with the adjacent ones of the plurality of modulating component arrays are offset. In one embodiment, rows of the modulating components in the modulating component arrays are offset along the dispersion direction of the incident optical signal by a fraction of the modulating component pitch.