TIME-DOMAIN IMAGE-PROCESSING USING DYNAMIC HOLOGRAPHY

Coded ultrafast optical pulses can be treated as one-dimensional (1-D) images in the time domain. We have converted space-domain images into time-domain images using diffraction from dynamic holograms inside a Fourier pulse shaper, with photorefractive quantum wells (QW's) used a s the dynamic holographic medium. We present several examples, in whic h amplitude or phase modulation of the hologram writing beams modifies the complex spectrum of the femtosecond output, resulting in a time-d omain image, Both storage and processing of time domain images can be achieved, depending on the hologram writing geometry and power densiti es. Time-domain processing operations such as edge enhancement, Fourie r transform, and correlation are demonstrated.