Incoherent/coherent readout of double angularly multiplexed volume holographic optical elements
First Claim
1. A multiplexed volume holographic optical element readout apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a multiplexed volume holographic optical element comprising a volume holographic medium and a stored holographic modulation pattern, said stored holographic modulation pattern comprising a multiplexed set of modulation pattern components, each of which, when illuminated by an associated reference beam, leads to a reconstructed beam such that;
(i) the set of said reconstructed beams that emanate from said holographic medium is at least partially angularly multiplexed;
(ii) a spatial array of pixels is encoded onto each said reconstructed beam, as an image at some plane in space; and
(iii) said images of said spatial arrays of pixels from said reconstructed beams can be made to be substantially coincident in space; and
(b) means for readout of at least a portion of said multiplexed set of modulation pattern components, comprising;
(i) means for providing an array of coherent light sources that are mutually incoherent;
(ii) means for forming a reference beam from each coherent light source, thereby forming a set of multiplexed reference beams;
(iii) means for modulating each said reference beam, thereby forming a multiplexed set of modulated reference beams; and
(iv) means for directing at least a portion of said multiplexed set of modulated reference beams onto said volume holographic medium, thereby generating a set of output beams reconstructed from said portion of said multiplexed set of modulation pattern components.
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Abstract
Novel apparatuses for readout of multiplexed volume holographic optical elements, based on parallel incoherent/coherent double angularly multiplexed holographic recording and readout principles, provide for hologram readout with high optical throughput efficiency and minimal crosstalk. Such holographic element readout apparatuses have applications in photonic interconnections for neural networks, telecommunications switching and digital computing; optical information processors and optical memories; and optical display systems. Embodiments are included that allow incoherent superposition of reconstructed images and simplified parallel readout of the volume holographic optical elements. The apparatuses can read out holographic elements that are either optically or computer generated and that are based on continuous-volume or stratified-volume holographic media.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A multiplexed volume holographic optical element readout apparatus, comprising:
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(a) a multiplexed volume holographic optical element comprising a volume holographic medium and a stored holographic modulation pattern, said stored holographic modulation pattern comprising a multiplexed set of modulation pattern components, each of which, when illuminated by an associated reference beam, leads to a reconstructed beam such that; (i) the set of said reconstructed beams that emanate from said holographic medium is at least partially angularly multiplexed; (ii) a spatial array of pixels is encoded onto each said reconstructed beam, as an image at some plane in space; and (iii) said images of said spatial arrays of pixels from said reconstructed beams can be made to be substantially coincident in space; and (b) means for readout of at least a portion of said multiplexed set of modulation pattern components, comprising; (i) means for providing an array of coherent light sources that are mutually incoherent; (ii) means for forming a reference beam from each coherent light source, thereby forming a set of multiplexed reference beams; (iii) means for modulating each said reference beam, thereby forming a multiplexed set of modulated reference beams; and (iv) means for directing at least a portion of said multiplexed set of modulated reference beams onto said volume holographic medium, thereby generating a set of output beams reconstructed from said portion of said multiplexed set of modulation pattern components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification