Abstract
We establish the groundwork for a phase theory applicable to multiple-aperture systems. To do this, we define ideal behavior as the phase behavior of an off-axis system that has inherent rotational symmetry. Then we examine the phase behavior of a more general system that has only a single plane of symmetry. This system represents a branch of an actual synthetic aperture system. The comparison of the two systems leads to conditions for which the plane symmetric system has ideal behavior. As a result of this comparison, design rules that are commonly applied to multiple aperture systems appear naturally, including the well-known requirement that the exit pupil is a scaled copy of the entrance pupil. The theory also shows that in reflective synthetic telescopes, fewer mirrors are required to achieve ideal behavior if the minors are off-axis sections of an axially-symmetric parent system, rather than on-axis mirrors. The phase theory that we present is cohesive, provides useful design guidelines, and can be considered an addition to wave aberration theory.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 6-17 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
Volume | 4091 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2000 |
Event | Imaging Technology and Telescopes - San Diego, CA, USA Duration: Jul 30 2000 → Jul 31 2000 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Computer Science Applications
- Applied Mathematics
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering