Detection of small phase modulation using two-wave mixing in photorefractive crystals

Two-wave mixing of phase-modulated beams in photorefractive crystals under a dc electric field is studied both theoretically and experimentally. Based on the vectorial theory of light diffraction in crystals of cubic symmetry, we derived an analytical expression that describes the phase demodulation in crystals with an arbitrarily oriented electric field. The phase-demodulation technique was used for estimation of the space-charge field created in photorefractive crystals. It is shown that the space-charge-field grating created in GaP and Bi₁₂TiO₂₀ crystals is much smaller than that predicted from the one-level band-transport model of the photorefractive effect. Received: 12 December 2000 / Revised version: 8 February 2001 / Published online: 27 April 2001     

High speed two input real-time optical correlation using photorefractive BSO

Two input real-time optical correlation using photorefractive media is discussed. Consideration is given to the bearing of the input arrangement on the correlator's response time to changes in input. It is demonstrated that previous correlator arrangements using photorefractive Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ (BSO) may be adapted to improve their time response characteristics. Re-allocation of information carrying inputs leads to a two input correlator in which one input may be updated with arbitrary rapidity. The updating of the remaining input is subject to the limits imposed by the dynamics of the photorefractive effect. This is contrasted with previous correlator designs in which the updating of both inputs is subject to such dynamic limitations.     

Effect of dynamic range input image on performance of binary subtracted joint transform correlator

A demand for the dynamic range of input images in the binary subtracted joint transform correlator was studied by computer simulations using input scenes containing multiple halftone images of human faces. To realize good discriminability the correlator requires use of an image-conversion subsystem with a dynamic range larger than 50:1 and 16:1 in amplitude for input scenes having (1) a reference image and many target images and (2) a target image and many reference images, respectively.     

Detection of the contribution of the inverse flexoelectric effect to the photorefractive response in a bismuth titanium oxide single crystal

Relations determining the contribution of the inverse flexoelectric effect to the photorefractive response have been determined for the case of the interaction of a steady pump wave conserving left-hand circular polarization with a phase-modulated signal wave that has circular polarization of the opposite sign on the input face of a crystal that has the (100) orientation and symmetry group 23. The experimental studies of such an interaction in a Bi₁₂TiO₂0:Fe,Cu crystal make it possible to estimate its flexoelectric coefficient as f ₁₁ = 5.3 nC/m.     

The use of a consumer grade photo camera in optical-digital correlator for pattern recognition and input scene restoration

In this work an optical-digital correlator for pattern recognition and input scene restoration is described. Main features of the described correlator are portability and ability of multi-element input scenes processing. The correlator consists of a consumer grade digital photo camera with a diffractive optical element (DOE) inserted as a correlation filter. Correlation of an input scene with a reference image recorded on the DOE are provided optically and registered by the digital photo camera for further processing. Using obtained correlation signals and DOE’s point spread function (PSF), one can restore the image of the input scene from the image of correlation signals by digital deconvolution algorithms.The construction of the correlator based on the consumer grade digital photo camera is presented. The software procedure that is necessary for images linearization of correlation signals is described. Experimental results on optical correlation are compared with numerical simulation. The results of images restoration from conventionally and specially processed correlation signals are reported. Quantitative estimations of accuracy of correlation signals as well as restored images of the input scene are presented.     

基于液晶光阀非线性变换的实时光学相关识别

提出了一种高鉴别能力的实时光学相关器，它采用液晶光阀作为实时输入器件，并利用其非线性变换特性对图像微分预处理，全息记录材料采用光折变晶体，且使用全取球面波作参考光。所给出的实验结果表明，该光学相关具有鉴别能力高，实时性和灵活性强，以及结构２紧凑的特点。     

Quantization and truncation conditions of fourier power spectrum for good performance in binary subtracted joint transform correlator

Binary subtracted joint transform correlator (BSJTC) provides sharp autocorrelation peaks and better discrimination for similar targets even though many reference images are arranged regularly in an input scene. The effects of the number of reference patterns, the quantization levels and truncation of the Fourier power spectra on the performance of BSJTC are investigated. The number of effective quantization levels to obtain sharp and clear autocorrelation peaks is estimated by computer simulations using the input scenes with many binary images (alphabetic characters) and halftone images (human portraits). Experimental results of BSJTC are also shown using a hybrid system with a Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ spatial light modulator and a personal computer.     

Reflection-type photorefractive gratings in tin hypotiodiphosphate

Reflection photorefractive gratings recorded by nearly counterpropagating light waves in the near infrared are studied in tin hypothiodiphosphate. The ratios are established for certain electrooptic tensor components responsible for reflection grating recording, and the Debye screening length is evaluated. Reflection holograms of binary objects are recorded. Received: 26 June 2001 / Revised version: 3 September 2001 / Published online: 29 November 2001     

Single-frequency Ti:Er:LiNbO3 distributed Bragg reflector waveguide laser with thermally fixed photorefractive cavity

The first single-frequency Ti:Er:LiNbO₃ distributed Bragg reflector waveguide laser with two thermally fixed photorefractive gratings as resonator mirrors is reported. The optically pumped (λ_p=1480 nm,120-mW incident power) laser emits up to 1.1 mW at λ_s=1561.1 nm. The threshold pump power is 70 mW. Received: 7 June 2001 / Published online: 30 October 2001     

Photorefractive fixed optical correlator

A photorefractive optical correlator stored and fixed in lithium niobate is presented. The device shows good correlation characteristics together with very high output efficiency and insensitivity to optical erasure during read-out. Received: 10 May 1999 / Revised version: 21 June 1999 / Published online: 16 September 1999     

Hybrid binary subtracted joint transform correlator for a large number of reference patterns using a Bi12SiO20(BSO) spatial light modulator and a laser scanner

A hybrid binary subtracted joint transform correlator was constructed using a Bi₁₂SiO₁₂ (BSO) spatial light modulator and a laser scanner. The usefulness of this system was confirmed experimentally using a large number of binary and halL-tone images as the reference patterns.     

LiNbO3:Fe光折变晶体实时光学相关存贮研究

在ＬｉＮｂO₃：Ｆｅ晶体中实现了光折变实时相关存贮。它兼备存贮器与相关器两种器件的优点，又具有光折变器件的实时特点，因而可从数个被存贮的信息中实时、快速地挑选出与输入信息相关的信息。从相关点的强度和位置可立即得到孩信息与输入信息的相关程度和编码序数，其原理基于光折变匹配滤波器的筛远性。因此该器件具有广阔的应用前景。 关键词：     

Electric-field enhancement of beam coupling in Sn2P2S6

The influence of an external field on photorefractive recording in Sn₂P₂S₆ (SPS) crystals is studied. A large gain factor of more then 15 cm^-1 is achieved for a grating spacing of 12 μm at λ=0.9 μm. For an applied field exceeding ±200 V/cm a switching of the beam coupling direction is detected, exhibiting a pronounced hysteresis. Received: 25 October 2000 / Revised version: 18 January 2001 / Published online: 21 March 2001     

Enhanced performance of a mutually pumped phase-conjugation setup using two photorefractive crystals

A mutually pumped phase-conjugator (MPPC) consisting of two photorefractive crystals is investigated experimentally at a wavelength of about 807 nm. In addition to a Rh:BaTiO₃ crystal, which is used in a modified bridge configuration for phase-conjugation, a Co:BaTiO₃ crystal is used to amplify the phase-conjugate beam by wave-mixing. The phase-conjugate power is at least doubled compared to that using only one crystal, and the beam quality of the phase-conjugate beam is distinctly improved. Moreover, the temporal stability of the phase-conjugate output using two crystals is much higher than that using only one crystal. Received: 7 December 2000 / Revised version: 12 January 2001 / Published online: 27 April 2001     

Amplification of near-infrared light in a photorefractive ring resonator

We have demonstrated efficient amplification of near-infrared, 0.83-μm and 1.06-μm light, in a photorefractive ring resonator using Rh:BaTiO₃. The optical power oscillating inside the ring exceeded the pump power by a factor of up to 2.34. The sensitivity of a ring resonator to nanometer changes in its length was characterised using a piezo-mirror. Received: 30 November 2000 / Revised version: 24 January 2001 / Published online: 20 April 2001     

Nonlinear interactions and scattering of space charge waves in sillenites

For the first time the effects of overall doubling, spatial doubling, and overall rectification of space charge waves in a photorefractive crystal (Bi₁₂GeO₂₀, BGO) have been detected and theoretically studied. The effects of overall doubling and overall rectification resemble second-harmonic generation and rectification of light in nonlinear optics. A good agreement between theory and experiment is found for the effect of spatial doubling, while for overall doubling and overall rectification effects only a qualitative agreement between theory and experiment has been established until now. Received: 13 July 2001 / Published online: 10 October 2001     

Complementary-reference and complementary-scene for real-time fingerprint verification using joint transform correlator

In this paper, a new configuration for the input joint images in the joint transform correlator is proposed for fast real-time binary characters and fingerprints verification. In the proposed scheme, the input joint image has a complementary-reference image and a complementary target image in addition to the reference and the target images. We use the cross-correlation peak value between the reference and the complementary target image and the cross-correlation peak value between the complementary reference and the target images as the criteria to perform the recognition of the target in the input scene. It is shown that these two cross-correlation peak values will be zero if and only if the input target matches the reference image. One advantage of using the proposed scheme is the elimination of the usual and necessary time-consuming normalization of the input images in the general correlation-based matching processes. Another advantage of the proposed scheme is the insensitive to light-sources intensity fluctuations that usually limits the matched-based recognition approaches. The scheme is employed to verify binary characters and fingerprints images; further, it is employed to verify occluded fingerprints target images on one hand, and to determine if a specific part or pattern exists in the target fingerprint image on the other hand.     

Optical holographic memory using angular-rotationally phase-coded multiplexing in a LiNbO3:Fe crystal

We propose a new holographic memory scheme based on random-phase-coded multiplexing in a photorefractive LiNbO₃:Fe crystal. Experimental results show that rotating a diffuser placed as a random-phase modulator in the path of the reference beam provides a simple yet effective method of increasing the holographic storage capabilities of the crystal. Combining this rotational multiplexing with angular multiplexing offers further data-storage possibilities. The advantage of using post-image versus pre-image phase modulation of the object beam is demonstrated. Received: 15 August 2000 / Published online: 10 January 2001     

Optically fixed photorefractive correlator

An optically fixed photorefractive correlator is presented,where two-centre non-volatile holographic recording is employed to write and fix the matched filter in doubly doped LiNbO3 crystals.This correlator shows good correlation characteristics and insensitivity to the writing beam during readout.It can be used in cased requiring stability and not requiring modification for a long period,and it is refreshed optically when new information needs to be registered.     

基于KNSBN:Cu晶体的光折变联合变换相关器

给出基于KNSBN:Cu晶体的光折变二波耦合联合变换相关器(TBJTC).以KNSBN:Cu晶体作为平方律转换器,将强度较大且携带参考图象和待识别图象联合频谱的信号光波与一强度较弱的相干平面参考光波同时输入于KNSBN:Cu晶体,通过光折变二波耦合过程的非线性能量转移,实现功率谱转换,进而实现相关识别.理论分析和实验结果表明,除输入输出外,该光学相关器无需CCD、LCLV等器件和相应的数字处理,是一个全光光学相关器.