Abstract

The optical deconvolution system previously described by Hayden and Reeve requires an electrooptical computing system which can measure the power spectral densities of pulsed signals applied to an acoustooptical cell. A system is described in this work wherein the optical computing section consists of a He–Ne laser beam which is modulated using an acoustooptical modulator, and the Fourier transform is performed by a simple lens. The power spectral density is measured by a linear photodiode array interfaced to a British Broadcasting Corporation microcomputer. This system is evaluated using common signal waveforms, such as a chirp. The ability to measure signals of arbitrary shape is explored, and applications of this system to deconvolution problems are discussed.

© 1985 Optical Society of America