Optical transfer function: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:48, 2 January 2019

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=== Starting from the point spread function ===

The optical transfer function is defined as the [[Fourier transform]] of the [[Impulse response|impulse-response]] of the optical system, also called the [[point spread function]]. The optical transfer function is thus readily obtained by first acquiring the image of a point source, and applying the two-dimensional [[Discrete Fourier transform|discrete Fourier transform]] to the sampled image. Such a point-source can, for example, be a bright light behind a screen with a pin hole, a fluorescent or metallic [[microsphere]], or simply a dot painted on a screen. Calculation of the optical transfer function via the point spread function is versatile as it can fully characterize optics with spatial varying and chromatic aberrations by repeating the procedure for various positions and wavelength spectra of the point source.

=== Using extended test objects for spatially invariant optics ===