Interdisciplinary Theory & Technology

A monolithic or hybrid integrated optical processor or optical processing system having a plurality of light modulating array elements, each controlled by respective control signals, and arranged so that each light modulating array element lies in a different fractional Fourier transform plane. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the resulting system is implemented in a stack of element materials. In one embodiment, a segment of graded index material lies between consecutive light modulating array elements. Other features include obtaining images from an electronically-controllable image source, using an image sensor to change the processed image into an electrical output, and using at least one of the light modulating array element to introduce a phase shift.