AN OPTICAL TRANSFORM METHOD AND SYSTEM

摘要

Optical apparatus for obtaining a discrete transform of an input signal in an output plane, the system comprising: a light source positioned at an input surface, the source comprising an array of N spaced temporally coherent, spatially incoherent light elements representative of the signal, spaced with a first spacing; a detector positioned at an output surface, the detector comprising an array of N spaced detectors, spaced with a second spacing, such that it N samples light at the output surface; and an optical transformer that collects light from the light source and transforms it into a pattern at the output surface, said optical transformer being constructed such, such that the N sampling of the output signal results in the discrete transform of the input signal, wherein said optical transformer includes a shearing generator that provides two images of the light source that are inverted forms of each other, interference between said images providing a continuous interference pattern that is sampled by said detector.