A model of computation for fourier optical processors

摘要

e present a nvel and simple theoretical mode of computation that captures what we believe are the most important characteristics of an optical Fourier treansform processor. We use this abstract model to reason about the computational properties of the physical systems it describes. We define a grammar for our model's instruction language, and use it to wirite algorithms for well-known filtering and correlation techniques. We also suggest sutiable computational complexity measures that could be used to analyze any coherent optical information processing technique, described with the language, for efficiency. Our choice of instruction language allows us to argue that algorithms describable with his model should have optical implementations that do not require a digital electronic computer to act as a master unit. Through simulation of a well known model of computation from computer theory we investigate the general-uprpose capabilities of analog optical processors.