Coherent Optical Processors for Ambiguity Function Display and One-Dimensional Correlation/Convolution Operations.

摘要

This paper presents a tutorial overview of some recently developed coherent optical processing techniques for performing certain types of computations often encountered in radar signal processing applications. The processors described utilize two one-dimensional transparencies which represent the spatial analogs of temporal waveforms. These transparencies are commonly rotated 45 deg in opposite directions, and serve as the inputs to a coherent optical processor which performs a one-dimensional Fourier transform. For various orientations of the input transparencies, possible operations include a simultaneous range/Doppler display of the input's ambiguity function (for identical input transparencies) and a cross-ambiguity function display (for non-identical transparencies). One dimensional coherent correlations and convolutions can similarly be performed without the motion or Fourier transform encoding commonly required in conventional coherent processors. Sample experimental results are presented along with the basic theory. (Author)