Wavelet processing and optics

Fourier optics has offered a powerful global information analysis and processing tool to optical domain signals and images and firmly locked its respectable position in the history of optics. The evolution of wavelet theory in the past decade, which has created significant impacts on many areas of information science and engineering, has recently been frequently mentioned in optics community. Whether or not this locality-oriented signal analysis and processing tool can play a comparably significant role in optics remains to be answered. The present paper is intended to summarize important developments and recent progress in areas where novel wavelet processing concepts are incorporated into optics research.