Optically computing mathematical functions of importance in imaging with a photochromic film

摘要

A sensor and optical system (fig. 6) for optical computation of mathematical function in imaging with linear effects and aberrated optics and with nonlinear effects with aberrated and non-aberrated optics. The sensor may comprise molecules of bacteriodohpsin (bR) embedded in a plastic film. A function such as edge detection is described by optically stimulating the Difference of Gaussians (DOG) approximation to the Laplacian operator. The spacial integration needed for convolving the image with two Gaussians is achieved by illuminating the image with a blue and a yellow laser beam. The two images are naturally substracted by the bR film as the net difference in state concentration.