[OPTICAL REVIEW Vol. 8, No. 5 (2001) 343-347]
Spatial and Temporal Properties of a Nonlinear Optical Feedback System
Yoshio HAYASAKI*, Shusaku HARA, Hirotsugu YAMAMOTO and Nobuo NISHIDA
Department of Optical Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokushima, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima, 770-8506 Japan
(Received December 1, 2001; Accepted June 11, 2001)
We experimentally investigate the spatial and temporal properties of a nonlinear optical system composed of an optically addressed spatial light modulator and a two-dimensional optical feedback. The system property is examined using fringes with only one spatial wave vector. The fringes are spontaneously generated using a spatial frequency filter in the optical feedback. We also experimentally investigate the properties of the spatial light modulator in the system using ordinary interference fringes in order to compare with the system property. We demonstrate that the spatial frequency response of the nonlinear optical system is identical to that of the spatial light modulator. We also demonstrate the distinctive temporal behavior of diffraction lights from the fringes generated in the system.
Key words : pattern formation, spatial light modulator, analog optical information processing, spatial frequency filter, optical feedback system