Open AccessStrehl ratio as the Fourier transform of a probability density of error differences
Author(s) -
Miguel A. Alonso,
G. W. Forbes
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics letters/optics index
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.524
H-Index - 272
eISSN - 1071-2763
pISSN - 0146-9592
DOI - 10.1364/ol.41.003735
Subject(s) - strehl ratio , optics , convolution (computer science) , fourier transform , autocorrelation , histogram , gaussian , spatial frequency , mathematics , physics , computer science , adaptive optics , statistics , mathematical analysis , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics) , quantum mechanics , artificial neural network
To give useful insight into the impact of mid-spatial frequency structure on optical performance, the Strehl ratio is shown to correspond to the Fourier transform of a simple statistical characterization of the aberration in the exit pupil. This statistical description is found simply by autocorrelating a histogram of the aberration values. In practice, the histogram itself can often be approximated by a convolution of underlying histograms associated with fabrication steps and, together with the final autocorrelation, it follows from the central limit theorem that the Strehl ratio as a function of the scale of the phase error is generally approximated well by a Gaussian.