Nonlinear effects of phase blurring on Fourier transform holograms

Liquid-crystal light valves can have intensity-dependent resolution. We fin d for a nematic liquid-crystal light valve that this effect is well modeled as a phase that has been blurred by a linear space-invariant filter. The p hase point-spread function is measured and is used in simulations to demons trate that it introduces intermodulation products to the diffraction patter ns of computer-generated Fourier transform holograms. Also, the influence o f phase blurring on a pseudorandom-encoding algorithm is evaluated in close d form. This analysis applied to a spot array generator design indicates th at nonlinear effects are negligible only if the diameter of the point-sprea d function is a small fraction of the pixel spacing. (C) 2000 Optical Socie ty of America [S0740-3232(00)01608-2] OCIS codes: 230.6120, 070.2580, 030.6 600, 160.3710, 100.3020.