Apodization for Optimum Imaging of Smooth Objects*

Abstract

The distortion of the image of an object, produced by diffraction, can be reduced by filtering. A class of filters is developed for minimizing the first term in the moment expansion of the error. The resulting spread functions have high attenuation rate, negligible side lobes, and are optimum for imaging smooth objects. One- and two-dimensional systems are considered; the analysis includes coherent and incoherent illumination.