Abstract: An actuator system can be used to adjust a position of a component in a spatial light modulator. The actuator system has a pair of actuators that are coupled together by a frame that is used to adjust the height of the component relative to the substrate. The frame includes a pair of moment arms that are coupled to the actuators and a pair of connecting arms that are coupled to the moment arms. The connecting arms are then connected together at about the center of the frame, which portion of the frame can be used to raise or lower the plate. The center of the frame can be raised or lowered by a shortening or lengthening of the connecting arms relative to each other.

Abstract: An actuator system can be used to adjust a position of a component in a spatial light modulator. The actuator system has a pair of actuators that are coupled together by a frame that is used to adjust the height of the component relative to the substrate. The frame includes a pair of moment arms that are coupled to the actuators and a pair of connecting arms that are coupled to the moment arms. The connecting arms are then connected together at about the center of the frame, which portion of the frame can be used to raise or lower the plate. The center of the frame can be raised or lowered by a shortening or lengthening of the connecting arms relative to each other.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator is provided by positioning and repositioning micromirrors of a microelectromechanical system. The micromirrors are positioned by an actuator linked to the micromirrors by a frame. The actuator responds to a control signal having voltages that create electrical fields. The electrical fields provide forces that change the positions of the micromirrors in such a way that a light beam striking the micromirrors reflects as a modulated light beam.

Abstract: An actuator system can be used to adjust a position of a component in a spatial light modulator. The actuator system has a pair of actuators that are coupled together by a frame that is used to adjust the height of the component relative to the substrate. The frame includes a pair of moment arms that are coupled to the actuators and a pair of connecting arms that are coupled to the moment arms. The connecting arms are then connected together at about the center of the frame, which portion of the frame can be used to raise or lower the plate. The center of the frame can be raised or lowered by a shortening or lengthening of the connecting arms relative to each other.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator is provided that uses light modulation structures at each pixel to employ electromagnetic interference to modulate the intensity and/or phase of the transmitted and/or reflected light from the pixel. The use of the modulation structures enables the independent and dynamic changing of the intensity and/or phase of the reflected and/or transmitted light at each pixel. The modulation structure can incorporate a plate with a semi-reflective surface that is separated from a substrate having either a reflective or semi-reflective surface. The modulation structure can have actuators positioned between the substrate and the plate to control the separation distance between the plate and the substrate. By controlling the separation distance, the amount of light reflected by and/or transmitted through the surfaces of the plate and substrate can be controlled. The separation distance can be related to the resulting interference applied to particular wavelengths of the light.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator is provided by positioning and repositioning micromirrors of a microelectromechanical system. The micromirrors are positioned by an actuator linked to the micromirrors by a frame. The actuator responds to a control signal having voltages that create electrical fields. The electrical fields provide forces that change the positions of the micromirrors in such a way that a light beam striking the micromirrors reflects as a modulated light beam.

Abstract: A memory cell that includes a memory media electronically storing information, and a read unit for reading information in the memory media and converting the read information into an optical signal. The read unit includes a point probe and a spatial light modulator. The point probe reads information from the memory media, which produces a charge at the probe. This charge, corresponding to the information electronically stored in the memory media, is then used to control the operation of the spatial light modulator so that the modulator modulates light to convey the information read from the memory media. The read unit may also include an output amplifier, for amplifying the signal output from the point probe used to control the spatial light modulator. The read unit may also include a drive amplifier, for providing power to the point probe to allow it to write information to the memory media.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an optical sensing device and method are provided for processing with extremely low energy requirements. Spontaneous emissions from an excited optical gain medium generate a propagating waveform. Either a spatial modulator or the pattern under investigation modulates the optical wavefront generated by the fluorescing gain medium to impose a first spatial pattern thereon. When the first spatial pattern imposed on the wavefront has duality with another spatial pattern imposed by the other of the pattern under investigation or the SLM, light is directed back along pathways through a cavity defined by the gain medium, a reflector, the SLM, and the object under investigation to induce stimulated emission and eventually resonance in the cavity.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an optical processing device and method are provided for processing with extremely low energy requirements. Spontaneous emissions from an excited optical gain medium generate a waveform that propagates within a cavity defined by the gain medium and a reflective device. A first spatial modulating element is disposed in the cavity in the path of the generated wavefront to impose a first spatial pattern thereon. A second spatial modulating element also is disposed in the cavity and imposes a second spatial pattern on the perturbed wavefront carrying the first pattern. When the first and second imposed spatial patterns have dual spatial pattterns, light is directed back along pathways through the cavity to induce stimulated emission and eventually resonance in the cavity.

Abstract: A variable weight optical interconnector is disclosed to include a projecting device and an interconnection weighting device remote from the projecting device. The projecting device projects a distribution of interconnecting light beams when illuminated by a spatially-modulated light pattern. The weighting device includes a photosensitive screen provided in optical alignment with the projecting device to independently control the intensity of each projected interconnecting beam to thereby assign an interconnection weight to each such beam. Further in accordance with the present invention, a highly-interconnected optical neural network having learning capability is disclosed as including a spatial light modulator, a detecting device, an interconnector according to the present invention, and a device responsive to detection signals generated by the detecting device to modify the interconnection weights assigned by the photosensitive screen of the interconnector.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for simulating a highly interconnected neural network is disclosed as including a spatial light modulator (SLM), an inputting device, a laser, a detecting device, and a page-oriented holographic component. The inputting device applies input signals to the SLM. The holographic component optically interconnects N.sup.2 pixels defined on the spatial light modulator to N.sup.2 pixels defined on a detecting surface of the detecting device. The interconnections are made by N.sup.2 patterns of up to N.sup.2 interconnection weight encoded beams projected by N.sup.2 planar, or essentially two-dimensional, holograms arranged in a spatially localized array within the holographic component. The SLM modulates the encoded beams and directs them onto the detecting surface wherein a parameter of the beams is evaluated at each pixel thereof.

Abstract: A variable weight optical interconnector is disclosed to include a projecting device and an interconnection weighting device remote from the projecting device. The projecting device projects a distribution of interconnecting light beams when illuminated by a spatially-modulated light pattern. The weighting device includes a photosensitive screen provided in optical alignment with the projecting device to independently control the intensity of each projected interconnecting beam to thereby assign an interconnection weight to each such beam. Further in accordance with the present invention, a highly-interconnected optical neural network having learning capability is disclosed as including a spatial light modulator, a detecting device, an interconnector according to the present invention, and a device responsive to detection signals generated by the detecting device to modify the interconnection weights assigned by the photosensitive screen of the interconnector.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for simulating a highly interconnected neural network is disclosed as including a spatial light modulator (SLM), an inputting device, a laser, a detecting device, and a page-oriented hologaphic component. The inputting device applies input signals to the SLM. The holographic component optically interconnects N.sup.2 pixels defined on the spatial light modulator to N.sup.2 pixels defined on a detecting surface of the detecting device. The interconnections are made by N.sup.2 patterns of up to N.sup.2 interconnection weight encoded beams projected by N.sup.2 planar, or essentially two-dimensional, holograms arranged in a spatially localized array within the holographic component. The SLM modulates the encoded beams and directs them onto the detecting surface wherein a parameter of the beams is evaluated at each pixel thereof.

Abstract: A method of recognizing different perspective views or images (i.e., multivariant views) of the same object (i.e., intraclass patterns). Each intraclass pattern, or different representation of the same object, is described as an orthonormal basis function expansion, and a single averaged matched spatial filter is produced from a weighted linear combination of these functions. The method eliminates the multiple matched spatial filters, and the extensive postprocessing of the matrix output from a multichannel correlator, which are used in the prior art.