Interferometric/feedback spatial light modulation system and method
First Claim
1. A spatial light modulation system for spatially encoding a coherent readout beam with information from a noncoherent input light beam, comprising:
- a light modulator adapted to receive a noncoherent input light beam and a coherent readout light beam, and to spatially encode the input spatial light pattern onto the readout beam,means responsive to the readout beam for forming a feedback beam having a spatial encoding which varies in a negative fashion with respect to spatial variations in the input beam, andmeans for combining the feedback beam with the input beam in a negative feedback loop, thereby enhancing the responsivity of the readout beam to variations in the input beam.
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Abstract
A spatial light modulator and associated method are disclosed which achieve an intensity-to-intensity spatial transformation between a noncoherent input beam and a coherent output beam. An intermediate intensity-to-phase modulator provides a coherent, spatially phased modulated readout beam that is combined with a coherent reference beam in an interferometer to yield the desired coherent, spatially intensity modulated output beam. The interferometer also produces a feedback beam with a spatial intensity modulation complementary to that of the input and output beams. The feedback beam is combined with the input beam in a feedback loop that significantly improves the system'"'"'s response time, and can also enhance the linearity of its transfer characteristic.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A spatial light modulation system for spatially encoding a coherent readout beam with information from a noncoherent input light beam, comprising:
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a light modulator adapted to receive a noncoherent input light beam and a coherent readout light beam, and to spatially encode the input spatial light pattern onto the readout beam, means responsive to the readout beam for forming a feedback beam having a spatial encoding which varies in a negative fashion with respect to spatial variations in the input beam, and means for combining the feedback beam with the input beam in a negative feedback loop, thereby enhancing the responsivity of the readout beam to variations in the input beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A spatial light modulation system for obtaining an output coherent spatial light pattern which corresponds to an input noncoherent spatial light intensity pattern, comprising:
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a light modulator adapted to receive a noncoherent input optical beam and a coherent readout optical beam, and to spatially encode the intensity pattern of the input beam onto the phase of the readout beam, means for establishing a coherent reference beam and the coherent readout beam such that the reference beam has as predetermined spatial phase relationship to the unencoded readout beam, means for combining the reference and readout beams to produce an output beam with a spatial intensity pattern corresponding to the input beam intensity pattern, and means for providing a coherent feedback beam in combination with the noncoherent input optical beam to the light modulator to provide a combined coherent-noncoherent input to the light modulator. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An intensity-to-intensity spatial light modulation system, comprising:
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an amplitude-to-phase spatial light modulator, means for directing a noncoherent, spatially intensity modulated input beam as an input to the modulator, means for forming a coherent readout beam, means for directing the readout beam onto the modulator, the readout beam being reflected from the modulator with a spatial phase modulation corresponding to the input beam'"'"'s spatial intensity modulation, means for forming a reference beam having a predetermined spatial phase relationship with respect to an unencoded readout beam, means for combining the reference and encoded readout beams to produce an output beam with a spatial intensity pattern determined by the phase-interference pattern between the reference and readout beams, and a feedback beam with a spatial intensity pattern that varies in a manner generally complementary to variations in the output beam pattern, and means for combining the feedback beam with the input beam in a negative feedback loop, thereby enhancing the responsivity of the output beam to variations in the input beam. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for spatially encoding a coherent readout beam with information from a noncoherent input light beam, comprising:
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spatially encoding the input beam spatial light pattern onto a coherent readout beam, forming a feedback beam having a spatial encoding which varies in a negative fashion with respect to spatial variations in the input beam, and combining the feedback beam with the input beam in a negative feedback loop to enhance the responsivity of the readout beam to variations in the input beam. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for obtaining an output beam with a coherent spatial light pattern that corresponds to the spatial light intensity pattern of a noncherent input beam, comprising:
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spatially encoding the intensity pattern of the input beam onto the phase of a coherent readout beam, establishing a coherent reference beam having a predetermined spatial phase relationship to the readout beam prior to encoding, combining the reference and readout beams to produce an output beam with a spatial intensity pattern corresponding to the input beam intensity pattern, and feeding back a feedback beam, with a spatial encoding which varies in a negative fashion with respect to spatial variations in the intensity pattern of the noncoherent input beam, for combination with the input beam to influence said step of spatial encoding. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification