Monolithic or hybrid integrated optical information processor employing a plurality of controllable optical transfer functions at fractional fourier planes
View Patent ↗A monolithic or hybrid integrated optical information processor employing a plurality of controllable optical transfer functions at fractional Fourier planes between two optical imaging elements is described. The arrangement can be used to realize or closely approximate arbitrary non-positive-definite transfer functions of spatially-varying amplitude and phase. In various implementations, one or both of the optical imaging elements can comprise a lens or graded-index material. In some implementations, at least a portion of the arrangement is implemented in the form of a stack. Graded index material may lie between consecutive light modulating array elements. The controllable plurality of optical transfer functions are employed to create a controllable optical processor which can be used for image filtering and optical computations using complex-valued optical signal arithmetic. An image sensor may be included to transform the processed image into electrical output. Applications include optical computing systems and integrated optics.
1. An integrated optical information processing system comprising:
a first imaging optical element for receiving incoming light, the first imaging element having a first side and a second side, the first imaging optical element configured to accept the incoming light at the first side and to alter the incoming light according to a partial imaging process, and to provide a first altered light from the second side of the first imaging optical element;
a plurality of light-modulating element arrays responsive to associated light-modulating control signals associated with fractional Fourier plane transfer functions, and adjacently stacked so that consecutive pairs of light-modulating 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 a second edge of the stack, the plurality of light-modulating element arrays arranged so that a first light-modulating element array receives the first altered light and a last light-modulating element array provides second altered light;
a second imaging optical element arranged to receive the second altered light at one of two sides and emitting outgoing light from the second of the two sides of the second imaging optical element; and
wherein the incoming light is directed through the first imaging optical element, producing an optical field directed through the stacked plurality of light-modulating element arrays and subsequently directed through the second imaging optical element to produce outgoing light, and the outgoing light responsive to the light-modulating control signals.
2. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 1 further comprising:
an electronic image sensor facing the second of the two sides of the second imaging optical element and configured to receive the outgoing light;
wherein the incoming light is directed through the first imaging optical element, producing an optical field directed through the stacked plurality of light-modulating element arrays and subsequently directed through the second imaging optical element and sensed by the electronic image sensor, and
wherein the image sensor transforms a processed image into an electrical output.
3. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 1 wherein the optical information processing system is implemented as a monolithic integrated optical processor.
4. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 1 wherein the optical information processing system is implemented as a hybrid integrated optical processor.
5. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first imaging optical element and the second imaging optical element comprises a lens.
6. The integrated optical information 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.
7. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the incoming light-modulating control signals comprises information calculated by an associated processor.
8. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the incoming light-modulating control signals comprises information stored in an associated memory.
9. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of light-modulating element arrays is implemented with a liquid crystal display.
10. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of light-modulating element arrays shifts a phase of light transmitted through it.
11. An integrated optical information processing system comprising:
a first imaging optical element having a first side and a second side, accepting incoming light at the first side of the element, altering the incoming light, and providing a first altered light from the second side;
a plurality of light-modulating element arrays configured in a stack and responsive to associated incoming light-modulating control signals, the resulting stack providing a second altered light, and wherein at least one incoming control signal is associated with transfer functions associated with fractional Fourier planes; and
a second imaging optical element comprising a first side and a second side, the second imaging optical element arranged to receive the second altered light on one side of the second optical element and emitting outgoing light from the second side of the second optical element;
wherein an emitted optical image is directed through the first optical element, producing an optical field directed through the stacked plurality of light-modulating element arrays and subsequently directed through the second optical element to produce outgoing light, the outgoing light responsive to the light-modulating control signals.
12. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 further comprising:
an electronic image sensor operating as an optical observation element facing the second side of the second optical element;
wherein an emitted optical image is directed through the first optical element, producing an optical field directed through the stacked plurality of light-modulating element arrays and subsequently directed through the second optical element and sensed by the electronic image sensor, and
wherein the image sensor transforms a processed image into an electrical output.
13. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 wherein the optical information processing system is implemented as a monolithic integrated optical processor.
14. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 wherein the optical information processing system is implemented as a hybrid integrated optical processor.
15. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first imaging optical element and the second imaging optical element comprises a lens.
16. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first imaging optical element and the second imaging optical element comprises graded-index material.
17. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the incoming light-modulating control signals comprises information calculated by an associated processor.
18. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the incoming light-modulating control signals comprises information stored in an associated memory.
19. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of light-modulating element arrays is implemented with a liquid crystal display.
20. The integrated optical information processing system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of light-modulating element arrays shifts a phase of light transmitted through it.