Chapter 8

Analog Optical Information

Processing
Weimin Sun
College of Science
Harbin Engineering University

Coherent optical information

processing
system
Coherent system, being
linear in complex amplitude,
are capable of realizing
operation of the form

I ( x, y ) K

g ( , )h( x , y )dd

There are many different

system configurations that
can be used to realize this
operation.

System (a)

This figure is conceptually the most straightforward

and is often referred to as a 4f filtering
architecture,

there are four separate distances of length f separating

the input plane from the output length of the system,
the input transparency, having amplitude transmittance
g(x1,y1), is placed against the collimating lens in plane
P1.

One focal length beyond the input is a

Fourier transforming lens L2, in the rear
focal plane P2 of which is placed a
transparency to control the amplitude
transmittance through that plane.

An amplitude k1G(x2/f, y2/f) is incident on

plane P2, where G is the Fourier transform of g
and k1 is a constant.

A filter is inserted in plane P2 to manipulate

the spectrum of g.
If H represents the desired transfer function,
then the amplitude transmittance of the
frequency-plane filter should be
x2 y 2
t A ( x2 , y 2 ) k 2 H ( , )
f f
The field behind the filter is thus GH.

After one additional focal length, lens L3 is

placed,

the purpose of which is to again Fourier

transform the modified spectrum of the input,
producing a final output in its rear focal plane, P3.
Note that the output appears inverted in plane P3
due to the imaging operation, or equivalently due
to the fact that a sequence of two Fourier
transforms has been used, rather than one
transform followed by its inverse.

For simplicity, the focal lengths of all three

lenses of all three lenses have been assumed
to be f, and the total length of the system is
seen to be 5f.
This architecture has the disadvantage that
vignetting can occur during the first Fourier
transform operation.

System (b)

This figure has the same length as the

previous system, but uses one fewer lens.
Again lens L1 collimates the light from the
point source S, and again the input
transparency is placed against L1 to
minimize the length of the system.

Placed at distance 2f from the input, lens L2 now

performs both the Fourier transforming and the
imaging operations,

the spectrum of the input appearing in the rear focal

plane P2 (where the Fourier filter transparency is
placed)
the filtered image appearing one additional focal length
beyond the focal plane, in plane P3.

Since the object and image distances are both 2f,

the magnification of the system in unity.

There are two practical disadvantages of

this second geometry.

First, as compared with system (a), the input is

now twice the distance from lens L2, the
therefore the vignetting will be even worse than
that encountered with system (a)
A second disadvantage arises from
approximations in the analysis of the coherent
imaging properties of a thin lens, i.e. neglecting
the quadratic phase factor j k ( x y )
e

4f

2
1

2
1

System (c)

The last setup consists of two lenses.

Lens L1 now serves as both a lens for
collecting the light from the point source S
and as the Fourier transforming lens.

The input is placed in plane P1 in contact

with lens L1.
The lens images the source onto the
frequency plane P2, where the filter
transparency is placed.
The magnification of this imaging operation
as shown is unity.

The second lens, L2, is also placed in plane

P2, and images the input onto the output
plane P3 with unity magnification.

this system has no vignetting problems,

the quadratic phase factor across the input plane
is canceled by the converging illumination.

The disadvantage is that the system is now

of length 6f rather than 5f.

One-dimensional transform
Fourier transform
in x direcion

Input

Inversed
Image in y
direction

Image

Constraints on filter realization

(a) purely
absorbing filter
(b) an absorbing
filter and arbitrary
phase control
(c) a pure phase
filter
(d) a filter that
achieves arbitrary
distributions of
absorption and
phase control

The VanderLugt filter

The frequency-plane masks can effectively control

both the amplitude and phase of a transfer function,
in spite of the fact that they consist only of patterns
of absorption.

Synthesis of the frequencyplane mask

U r ( x2 , y2 ) ro exp( j 2y2 )

sin

1
x2 y 2
I ( x2 , y2 ) ro exp( j 2y2 )
H( , )
f
f f
2

ro
1
x2 y 2
x2 y2 j 2y2
r 2 2 H( , )
H ( , )e
f
f f
f
f f
2
o

ro x2 y2 j 2y2

H ( , )e
f
f f

x2 y 2
x2 y 2
H ( , ) A( , )e
f f
f f

j (

x2 y 2
, )
f f

1
y2
2 x2
I ( x2 , y 2 ) r 2 2 A ( , )
f
f f
2ro
x2 y 2
x2 y 2

A( , ) cos[2y2 ( , )]
f
f f
f f
2
o

1
y2
2 x2
I ( x2 , y 2 ) r 2 2 A ( , )
f
f f
2ro
x2 y 2
x2 y 2

A( , ) cos[2y2 ( , )]
f
f f
f f
2
o

This form illustrates the means by which the

interferometric process allows the recording of
a complex function H on an intensity-sensitive
detector:

amplitude and phase information are recorded,

respectively, as amplitude and phase modulations of
a high-frequency carrier that is introduced by the
relative angular tilt of the reference wave from the
prism.

1
y2
2 x2
I ( x2 , y 2 ) r 2 2 A ( , )
f
f f
2ro
x2 y 2
x2 y 2

A( , ) cos[2y2 ( , )]
f
f f
f f
2
o

In practice, optical spatial filters are

generally passive types, for which the
physically realizable conditions are imposed
by
x2 y 2
A( , ) 1
f f
x2 y 2
0 ( , ) 2
f f

Other ways

There are, of course,

other optical systems that
will produce the same
intensity distribution.

(a) The modified MachZehnder interferometer

(b) The modified
Rayleigh interferometer

Tilt M1

As a final step in the synthesis of frequency-plane mask,

the exposed film is developed to produce a transparency
which has an amplitude transmittance that is
proportional to the intensity distribution that was
incident during exposure.
Thus the amplitude transmittance of the filter is of the
form
2
ro
1
x2 y 2
x2 y2 j 2y2
t A ( x2 , y 2 ) r 2 2 H ( , )
H ( , )e
f
f f
f
f f
2
o

ro x2 y2 j 2y2

H ( , )e
f
f f

ro
1
x2 y 2
x2 y2 j 2y2
t A ( x2 , y 2 ) r 2 2 H ( , )
H ( , )e
f
f f
f
f f
2
o

ro x2 y2 j 2y2

H ( , )e
f
f f

Aside from the simple complex-exponential

factor, the third term of the amplitude
transmittance is proportional to H and
therefore exactly the form required to
synthesize a filter with impulse response h.
It remains to be demonstrated how that
particular term of the transmittance can be
utilized and the other terms excluded.

Processing the input data

Once the frequency-plane mask has been

synthesized, it may be inserted in any of the
processing systems (system a, b or c).
If the input to be filtered is g(x1,y1), then incident
on the frequency-plane mask is a complex
amplitude distribution given by
1
x2 y 2
G( , )
f
f f

The field strength transmitted by the mask then

obeys the proportionality

U2

2
o

H G

r G
r
r
3 3 2 o 2 HGe j 2y2 o H Ge j 2y2
f
f
f
f

The final lens L3 optically Fourier transforms U2.

Taking note of the reflected coordinate system in
plane P3 as well as the scaling constants present in
the Fourier transform operation, the field strength
in that plane is found to obey the proportionality
U 3 ( x3 , y3 ) F {U 2 ( x2 , y2 )}

U2

H G

2
o

r G
r
r
3 3 2 o 2 HGe j 2y2 o H Ge j 2y2
f
f
f
f

U 3 ( x3 , y3 ) F {U 2 ( x2 , y2 )}
1
U 3 ( x3 , y3 ) r g ( x3 , y3 ) 2 2 [h( x3 , y3 ) h ( x3 , y3 ) g ( x3 , y3 )]
f
ro
[h( x3 , y3 ) g ( x3 , y3 ) ( x3 , y3 f )]
f
ro
[h ( x3 , y3 ) g ( x3 , y3 ) ( x3 , y3 f )]
f
2
o

The third and fourth terms of this expression are of

particular interest.

The third output term yields a convolution of h and g centered

at coordinates (0,-f) in the (x3,y3) plane.
The fourth term is the cross-correlation of h and g centered at
coordinates (0,f) in the (x3,y3) plane.

Requirement of carrier
frequency
h( x3 , y3 ) g ( x3 , y3 ) ( x3 , y3 f )

h( x

, y3 f ) g ( , )dd

h ( x3 , y3 ) g ( x3 , y3 ) ( x3 , y3 f )

g
(

)
h
( x3 , y3 f )dd

Advantages of the VanderLugt

filter
The use of a VanderLugt filter removes the two most
serious limitations to conventional coherent optical
processors.

When a specified impulse response is desired, the task of

finding the associated transfer function is eliminated; the
impulse response is Fourier transformed optically by the
system that synthesizes the frequency-plane mask.
The generally complicated complex-valued transfer function is
synthesized with a single absorbing mask; the phase
transmittance through the frequency plane need no longer be
controlled in a complicated manner.
The absorbing mask is simply immersed in a liquid gate to
eliminate all relative phase shifts.