Multidimensional optical signal processing using optical coherent transient spatial-spectral holography

This thesis presents analysis and experimental demonstrations of several new optical signal processing architectures that are based on optical coherent transient (OCT) technology and investigates many system design issues that must be taken into account when building such systems. OCT materials have the potential to optically process both high bandwidth (>10 GHz) and high time-bandwidth (>106) signals with the ability to potentially store huge amounts of data (up to 1000's of TB/cm3 using spatial-temporal holography. Several OCT system architectures are proposed and discussed including: raster image correlators, scanners, RF spectrum analyzers, time integrating correlators, image sequence correlators, and dynamic optical switches. In addition, some of the first experimental demonstrations of multiple channel spatial-temporal signal processing using OCT materials are shown. Novel system architectures for performing chromatic, polarization mode, and modal dispersion compensation are discussed, analyzed, and initial experimental results are shown demonstrating chromatic dispersion compensation of up to 5 μs of dispersion. A new approach for multiplexing 100's of individual DWDM channels of information down one multimode fiber is proposed and analyzed. In addition, a high bandwidth adaptive phased array beam steering system is also proposed and investigated along with experimental results showing the first demonstration of simultaneous time delay and processing of information with OCT materials. Lastly, results are presented for several stabilized lasers systems that have been built throughout the course of this research. The techniques used for stabilizing these lasers systems included optical feedback from gratings and Fabry-Perot cavities and electronic feedback techniques using Pound-Drever-Hall frequency locking.