[OPTICAL REVIEW Vol. 2, No. 2 (1995) 103-105]
Bistable Optically Writable Image Memory Using Optical Feedback
Thomas H. BARNES,1 Tomoaki EIJU,2 Shigeru KOKAJI,2 Kiyofumi MATSUDA2 and Narihiro YOSHIDA3
1Department of Physics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand, 2Applied Physics and Information Science Department, Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, Namiki 1-2, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305 Japan, 3Central Research Laboratory, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., 5000 Hiraguchi, Hamakita, Shizuoka, 434 Japan
(Accepted January 10, 1995)
A novel, parallel aligned optically addressed liquid crystal spatial light modulator has been used to implement an optically writable image memory. The memory uses a two-beam interferometer with optical feedback which exhibits thresholding, hysteresis, and bistability. We discuss the characteristics of the system, and present the results of an experimental demonstration.
Key words : optical memory, optical bistability, optical feedback