Abstract:
An interferometer cavity defined by two mirrors of different reflectance is advantageously adjusted to achieve superior compression of optical pulse signals. In particular, a mirror of predetermined partial reflectance is juxtaposed with a mirror of substantially total reflectance, the separation distance being detuned by a calculated amount from a condition of resonance with the optical pulse input. The detuning distance is calculated in terms of the physical characteristics of the cavity and certain delimiting characteristics of the optical pulse signals.
Abstract:
Control beams of electromagnetic radiation are applied to a member of saturable, energy-absorbing material to control the transmission of a signal beam therethrough. Incoherent beams on different volumes of material accomplish a threshold gate logic function, and similar beams on a common volume accomplish the OR logic functions. The use of coherent control beams produces an interference pattern of alternate bands of saturated and absorbent material, which pattern attenuates the transmission of the information beam through the material even though each control beam is of sufficient intensity, when acting alone, to saturate the material so that it is essentially transparent to the signal beam. Information signal transmission occurs as an EXCLUSIVE OR logic function of the coherent control beams, and such function is extendable for generating a logical NEGATION function and for complementing the information in a photographic transparency.