High port count instantiated wavelength selective switch
A high port count instantiated wavelength selective switch comprising two or more discrete sets, or instances, of m fiber ports totaling N fiber ports co-packaged together, one or more shared optical elements and dispersive elements, and one or more steering elements in each instance. The steering elements steer .lamda..sub.(k) from each instance of m input fiber ports to a .lamda..sub.(k) mirror dedicated to that fiber port instance, and wherein .lamda..sub.(k) mirror of the instance of m fiber ports is utilized to select and switch one .lamda..sub.(k) from the instance of m fiber ports to a fixed mirror which in turn reflects .lamda..sub.(k) to the .lamda..sub.(k) output mirror. The .lamda..sub.(k) output mirror selects and switches one .lamda..sub.(k) from one of the one or more instances of m fiber ports of the N.times.1 optical switch to the 1 output fiber port for each wavelength, and vice-versa for the 1.times.N optical switch.