The Prom Device In Optical Processing Systems

The operation of an electro-optic image modulator device for use in real-time optical processing systems is described. The PROM (Pockel's Read-Out Optical Modulator) is used to provide temporary storage of image or digital data which can then be read out by a laser for coherent optical processing. The stored image may undergo certain operations, such as level slicing, edge enhancement, or contrast inversion by utilizing the electronic characteristics of the device. This feature is useful for incoherent image processing, and also allows zero order suppression in coherent processing applications. The rapid recyclability, high optical quality and high resolution demonstrated by the device are required for practical utilization of the device in the applications described.