Enhancing form factor and light collection of multiplex imaging systems by using a cubic phase mask

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Optical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Traditional optical sensors have bulky form factors, limiting their use.
• Flat multiplex imaging sensors struggle with light-gathering due to small apertures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a wavefront-coding approach using a cubic phase mask.
• To enhance aperture sizes in multiplex imaging systems while maintaining sensor compactness.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a cubic phase mask to modify the optical system's wavefront.
• Derived an exact expression for the optical transfer function of cubic-phase-mask systems.
• Analyzed misfocus-dependent spatial-filtering properties.

Main Results:

• The cubic phase mask allows for increased aperture sizes without changing the lens-detector distance.
• The system demonstrates robust performance over a wide range of misfocus values.
• An exact optical transfer function expression was derived and its properties described.

Conclusions:

• Wavefront coding with cubic phase masks offers a viable solution for compact, high-performance optical sensors.
• This approach addresses the light-gathering challenges of miniaturized multiplex imaging systems.
• Design trade-offs were evaluated, providing criteria for form-factor enhancement.