OPTICAL PARALLEL PATTERN-RECOGNITION OF MULTIPLE STORED IMAGES IN A PERSISTENT SPECTRAL HOLEBURNING MEMORY

We propose and demonstrate a novel parallel pattern recognition techni que (pulse-correlation technique) to extract a specific pattern direct ly from multiple stored images in a persistent spectral holeburning (P HB) memory. Multiple recording channels which exist in the same spatia l area but in different frequency regions can be accessed simultaneous ly with a pulsed laser whose frequency linewidth is comparable with an inhomogeneous width of the PHB material. Using the pulsed laser for p attern recognition, we have succeeded in extracting a specific image i nstantly from multiple stored images in a PHB material. (C) 1998 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.