Nonlinear Optical Processing with Phase Coding for Infrared Target Discrimination

As a solution to the problem of autonomous target identification selection based on 1P image data, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to build a novel all-optical nonlinear system. This real-time processor will have a narrow band intensity response, enabling it to single out a certain temperature range pertaining to the target of interest. In order to improve a previously known method for input image coding, POC proposes a new concept of phase encoding. This technique eliminates the halftone recording "bottleneck": a need for complicated halftone screen design for hard-clipping recording media. The technique is expected to achieve three orders of magnitude input dynamic range and a higher light throughput, even for high-number diffraction orders. A variety of phase recording materials will be examined to demonstrate the feasibility of this concept, while Phase II research will be aimed toward real time implementation of the proposed all optical non-linear processor for narrow band discrimination. This will be done using POC\'s erasable photopolymer and optically addressed spatial light modulator. Phase II will result in an integrated optical system consisting of a nonlinear preprocessor and an optical neural network for effective pattern recognition.