Michael J Nowak, 45Mahopac, NY

4892408, Jan 9, 1990

Mar 3, 1988

7/163530

Benjamin J. Pernick - Forest Hills NY
Michael A. Nowak - East Northport NY

Grumman Aerospace Corporation - Bethpage NY

G01B 1127

356400

Reference patterns are disclosed which are designed particularly for the functions of evaluation and alignment of an optical instrument, such as a spectrum analyzer or an optical correlator employing a matched filter array as its memory. A preferred embodiment of the reference input pattern is binary and of simple geometry such that it can be easily fabricated and the Fourier transform and autocorrelation functions can be easily calculated. Two-dimensional spectral features and autocorrelation patterns for one particular input function have been derived in closed form and numerically evaluated. The Figures herein illustrate the symmetries in the multi-peaked distributions. Tables of relative intensities are disclosed and are useful in evaluating and comparing the performance of different coherent optical processing systems.