Electronic compensation for nonideal spatial light modulator characteristics

Compensation for spatial light modulator device imperfections can be achiev ed using digital electronics. Optical computing applications, requiring acc urate phase or amplitude modulation, can then make use of low-cost, enhance d devices. Using electronic compensation, corrections can be made for a non square aspect ratio in the aperture window and a nonlinear phase response-w hich may also be nonuniform over the aperture. The corrections for these im perfections are implemented using low-cost field programmable gate arrays. This technology enables real-time compensation and is easily adapted to sui t a wide range of display devices. The performance enhancement is demonstra ted using a popular Seiko-Epson liquid crystal television display operating as a phase modulating spatial light modulator. These developments greatly extend the utility of readily available, inexpensive, spatial light modulat ors. (C) 2000 Society of Photo-Optical instrumentation Engineers. [S0091-32 86(00)02509-5].