Advanced optical components and modules, namely wavelength selection switches, reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexers, reconfigurable optical add drop modules, wavelength cross-connects, all-optical switches, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) optical switches, wavelength blockers, dynamic gain equalizers, dynamic channel equalizers, optical burst switches, optical packet switches, fiber optics demultiplexers, fiber optics multiplexers, optical filters, optical add drop multiplexers, tunable add drop filters, tunable add drop filter arrays, tunable optical filters, tunable filter arrays, integrated variable optical attenuators and multiplexers, optical limiters, optical limiters arrays, optical attenuators, variable optical attenuators, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) variable optical attenuators, variable optical attenuator arrays, optical performance monitors, and optical power monitors, for use in the manufacture of network equipment with applications in optical wavelength division multiplexed telecommunications