Integrated Optical Information Processing
Abstract
The principal objective of this research program was the advancement of novel integrated optical and optoelectronic device technology suitable for inherently nonplanar optical information processing applications. As a first demonstration, a compact, low cost, low power optical synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processor was investigated for real time image formation aboard airborne and spaceborne platforms. The key to implementation of the integrated optical SAR processor is the use of a time- and space-integrating architecture, which allows two-dimensional processing to be performed with inherently one- dimensional signal processing devices. This permits the monolithic or hybrid integration of all of the necessary components into a single compact structure. An additional novel feature of this concept is the utilization of partial waveguide confinement (selective outcoupling) to achieve either uniform or modulated light emission vertically out of the integrated optical substrate plane. This feature in turn permits the realization of three dimensional optical signal processing architectures. Keywords: Optical information processing, Optical computing, Integrated optics, Guided wave optics, Synthetic aperture radar.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA201016
Entities
People
- Armand R. Tanguay Jr.
Organizations
- University of Southern California