Spatially efficient reference phase-encrypted joint transform correlator

A novel joint transform correlator (JTC) system is presented in which the stored reference image is phase encrypted prior to applying the JTC. The encryption disperses all the trivial correlation peaks in the correlator output. The reference image is encrypted electronically, which simplifies the need for a complex optical setup. The encryption removes the JTC requirement for spatial separation between the reference and the target images in the joint input plane. This efficient use of spatial light modulator space can be used to phase multiplex more reference images so that correlations with multiple reference images can be performed in a single JTC cycle.