A method for assuring a blazed condition in a DMD device used in
telecommunications applications. By meeting certain conditions in the
fabrication and operation of the DMD, the device can achieve a blazed
condition and be very effective in switching near monochromatic spatially
coherent light, thereby opening up a whole new application field for such
devices. This method determines the optimal pixel pitch and mirror tilt
angle for a given incident angle and wavelength of near monochromatic
spatially coherent light to assure blazed operating conditions. The
Fraunhofer envelope is determined by convolving the Fourier transforms of
the mirror aperture and the delta function at the center of each mirror
and then aligning the center of this envelope with a diffraction order to
provide a blazed condition. The method of the present invention presents
a formula for precisely determining the mirror pitch and tilt angle to
assure that a blazed condition exists for a given incident angle and
wavelength of near monochromatic spatially coherent light. Considerations
for the special case, know as Littrow conditions, where the incident and
the reflected light transverse the same path, are also given. This case
is particularly attractive for fiber optic/telecommunication applications
since the same optics can be used for incoming and outgoing (reflected)
light.