Monolithic or hybrid integrated optical information processor employing a plurality of controllable optical transfer functions at fractional fourier planes

An integrated optical information processing system comprising:

• a first imaging optical element for receiving incoming light, the first imaging element having a first side and a second side, the first imaging optical element configured to accept the incoming light at the first side and to alter the incoming light according to a partial imaging process, and to provide a first altered light from the second side of the first imaging optical element;
• a plurality of light-modulating element arrays responsive to associated light-modulating control signals associated with fractional Fourier plane transfer functions, and adjacently stacked so that consecutive pairs of light-modulating element arrays are immediately adjacent with one another so as to form a stack with a first image passing surface at one edge of the stack and a second image passing surface at a second edge of the stack, the plurality of light-modulating element arrays arranged so that a first light-modulating element array receives the first altered light and a last light-modulating element array provides second altered light;
• a second imaging optical element arranged to receive the second altered light at one of two sides and emitting outgoing light from the second of the two sides of the second imaging optical element;
• and
• wherein the incoming light is directed through the first imaging optical element, producing an optical field directed through the stacked plurality of light-modulating element arrays and subsequently directed through the second imaging optical element to produce outgoing light, and the outgoing light responsive to the light-modulating control signals.