Image processing by a spatial light modulator utilizing the Pockels effect

An investigation was made of an electron-beam spatial and temporal light modulator with nonequilibrium data storage in an electrooptic DKDP crystal. The operation of the modulator in the image addition regime was analyzed. An estimate of the modulator noise was obtained. It was found that the shot noise of the electron beam played the dominant role and it limited the maximum signal/noise ratio to 10³ at the modulator output. It was demonstrated experimentally that over 2×10³ frames could be added and that a signal could be extracted from the noise by time integration of identical images. A new method for producing a controlled optical bias was developed.