title: Image processing based on seeded spontaneous optical pattern formation by optoelectronic feedback.
abstract: Spontaneous optical pattern formation from an initial seed optical pattern in an optoelectronic system with optical diffractive feedback is investigated experimentally. We demonstrate that the temporal evolution of the spontaneously formed patterns exhibits a contrast enhancement effect, a spatial filtering effect, and filling of vacant space while the surrounding structures are maintained. These effects allow us to perform image processing of natural fringe patterns, i.e., in our experiments, fingerprint patterns. We also demonstrate image processing with defect invariance for fingerprint patterns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Optical Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokushima, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan. hayasaki@opt.tokushima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayasaki
authors.forename: Ei-ichiro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hikosaka
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishida