Programmable optical processing device employing stacked controllable phase shifting elements in fractional fourier planes
View Patent ↗A monolithic or hybrid integrated optical processor or optical processing system having a plurality of phase shifting array elements, each controlled by respective control signals, and arranged so that each phase shifting array element lies in a different fractional Fourier transform plane. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the resulting system is implemented in a stack of element materials. In one embodiment, a segment of graded index material lies between consecutive phase shifting array elements. Other features include obtaining images from an electronically-controllable image source, using an image sensor to change the processed image into an electrical output, and using at least one of the phase shifting array element to introduce a phase shift.
1. An optical processing system, said system comprising:
an electronically-controllable image source for emitting an optical image responsive to at least one incoming electronic image signal;
a first imaging optical element having two distinct sides, the first imaging optical element configured to accept the optical image at one of the two sides and to alter the optical image according to an imaging process, and to provide a first altered optical image from the second of the two sides of the element;
a plurality of phase-shifting element arrays responsive to associated incoming phase-shifting control signals associated with fractional Fourier plane transfer functions, and adjacently stacked so that consecutive pairs of phase-shifting element arrays are immediately adjacent with one another so as to form a stack with a first image passing surface at one edge of the stack and a second image passing surface at the other edge of the stack, the plurality of phase-shifting element arrays arranged so that the first image passing surface receives the first altered optical image, the second image passing surface providing a second altered optical image;
a second imaging image forming element arranged to receive the second altered optical image at one of two sides; and
an electronic image sensor facing the second of the two sides of the second imaging image forming element;
wherein the emitted optical image is directed through the first imaging image forming element, producing an optical field directed through the stacked plurality of phase-shifting element arrays and subsequently directed through the second imaging image forming element and sensed by the electronic image sensor.
2. The optical processing system of claim 1 wherein the optical processing system is one from the group of: a monolithic integrated optical processor and a hybrid integrated optical processor.
3. The optical processing system of claim 1 wherein the imaging material has a quadratic phase shift characteristic.
4. The optical processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first imaging optical element and the second imaging optical element comprises a lens.
5. The optical processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first imaging optical element and the second imaging optical element comprises graded-index material.
6. The optical processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the incoming phase-shifting control signals comprises information calculated by an associated processor.
7. The optical processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the incoming phase-shifting control signals comprises information stored in an associated memory.
8. The optical processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of phase-shifting element arrays is implemented with a liquid crystal display.
9. The optical processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of phase-shifting element arrays shifts the phase of light transmitted through it.
10. An optical processing system, said system comprising:
an electronically-controllable image source for emitting an optical image responsive to at least one incoming electronic image signal to create an emitted optical image;
a first optical element having two distinct sides, accepting the emitted optical image at one of the two sides of the element, altering the emitted optical image, and providing a first altered light from the second of the two sides;
a stacked plurality of phase-shifting element arrays, at least a plurality of which are responsive to associated incoming phase-shifting control signals, the resulting stack providing a second altered light, and wherein incoming control signal is associated with transfer functions associated with fractional Fourier planes;
a second optical element arranged to receive the second altered light; and
an electronic image sensor facing the opposite side of the second optical element, the electronic image sensor operating as an optical observation element;
wherein the emitted optical image is directed through the first optical element, producing an optical field directed through the stacked plurality of phase-shifting element arrays and subsequently directed through the second optical element and sensed by the electronic image sensor.
11. The optical processing system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the electronically-controllable image source and the electronic image sensor comprises a light emitting diode array.
12. The optical processing system of claim 10 wherein the optical processing system is configured as a hybrid physical realization of an integrated optical processor.
13. The optical processing system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the incoming phase-shifting control signals comprises information calculated by an associated processor.
14. The optical processing system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the incoming phase-shifting control signals comprises information stored in an associated memory.