Phase-only matched filtering

From image processing work, we know that the phase information is significantly more important than amplitude information in preserving the features of a visual scene. Is the same true in the case of a matched filter? From previous work [ J. L. Horner , Appl. Opt.21, 4511( 1982)], we know that a pure phase correlation filter can have an optical efficiency of 100% in an optical correlation system. We examine this relationship between phase and amplitude in the case of alphanumeric characters, with and without noise, using a computer simulation. We compare the phase-only and amplitude-only filters to the classical matched filter using the criteria of discrimination, correlation peak, and optical efficiency. Three-dimensional plots of the autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions are presented and discussed.