Validation

First read the IEEE article on validation, available here

Literature Survey

You will need to do a literature survey.
To do a paper search, you might try:
http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/
If the search is slow, go to google and search
with: site:citeseer.ist.psu.edu For example: site:citeseer.ist.psu.edu rangefinding returns: http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/473888.html
See if it returns overview papers like: http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/512373.html
To do a patent search, go to the url: http://www.uspto.gov/
Select search. You can search by number, if you have it. For example: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,476,943.WKU.&OS=PN/6,476,943&RS=PN/6,476,943
Note the other patents and cited references:
Rochester Photonics Corp., "Diffractive Phase Elements," May 1995.
Rochester Photonics Corp., "Subwavelength Structured (SWS) Surfaces," May 1995.
Rochester Photonics Corp., "Diffractive/Refractive Achromats," May 1995.
Rochester Photonics Corp., "Standard Spot Arrays," Jun. 1997.
Rochester Photonics Corp., "Standard Microlens Arrays," Jun. 1997.
Rochester Photonics Corp., "Microlens Arrays," Jun. 1997.
Ready "Industrial Applications of Lasers." pp. 248-255, 256-277, 278-314, 559-589, (1997).
Displaytech, Inc. "Photonics Products 1997" (1997).
Feldman et al., "Photonics Design and Solutions: Diffractive Optics Improve Product Design." (Reprinted from the Sep. 1995 issue of Photonics Spectra.COPYRGT. Laurin Publishing Co., Inc.).
Frisk et al., "Imaging Technology: Spatial Light Modulators Help Machines `See` Faster." (Reprinted from the Feb. 1997 issue of Photonics Spectra.COPYRGT. Laurin Publishing Co., Inc.
Pepper et al., "Real-Time Holography, Innovative Adaptive Optics, and Compensated Optical Processors Using Spatial Light Modulators." 584-655. (1995).
Displaytech, Inc. "Displaytech, Inc. Application Note--SLM Device Description: 256.times.256 Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator," Feb. 1998. pp 1-8. Callaghan et al. "Highly integrated, compact, optical correlators using FLC-VLSI spatial light modulators and diffractive optics." Jan. 1998. pp. 1-8.
Saleh, et al. "Fundamentals of Photonics" pp. 855-857 (1991).

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