Frequency multiplexed joint transform correlator system

Abstract

An improved joint transform correlator system frequency multiplexes two input signals to reduce the resolution along a single optical axis by one half, and uses full input transducer resolution in the other axis to provide a 20% increase in overall system performance. The two input channels are combined by summing baseband channel 1 information with reference channel 2 information which is frequency shifted using single sideband modulation techniques. The resultant signal is used to drive an input transducer of an optical system. The input transducer spatially modulates the light from a laser. A frequency plane is produced by the input optics, where the spatially separated channels may be observed. An interferometer is used to further process the signal information by combining the two channels at the joint transform plane. The combined signals are then written onto an optical-to-optical transducer where the joint transforms are multiplied together through a detection process. The output of this transducer is transformed by the output optics system to provide the cross correlation plane to an output transducer.

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