MEMS spatial light modulator for spectral phase and amplitude modulation

We present a new Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) spatial light modulator (SLM) with micromirrors designed to piston. The unique attribute of this MEMS SLM is that each column is designed modulate amplitude and phase upon reflection based on diffraction principles, and the entire column is activated by two actuators only. This diffractive MEMS modulator is to be used for independently applying amplitude attenuation and phase control along one-dimensional spectrally-resolved frequency components of light.