Imaging through atmospheric turbulence with annular pupils

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence significantly degrades image quality in optical systems.
• Annular pupils are common in telescopes and laser systems, influencing image formation.
• Understanding turbulence effects is crucial for designing robust imaging systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze image degradation caused by atmospheric turbulence for imaging systems with annular pupils.
• To quantify the impact of turbulence on key image quality metrics.
• To investigate the influence of pupil obscuration on turbulence-induced degradation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of time-averaged optical transfer function (OTF).
• Evaluation of point spread function (PSF) and Strehl ratio.
• Calculation of encircled energy for various obscuration ratios.
• Modeling based on Kolmogorov turbulence theory.

Main Results:

• Image quality metrics (OTF, PSF, Strehl ratio, encircled energy) are significantly affected by atmospheric turbulence.
• The degree of degradation is dependent on the pupil obscuration ratio.
• Performance reduction is observed with increasing obscuration, particularly at higher ratios.

Conclusions:

• Annular pupils are susceptible to atmospheric turbulence, with performance degradation increasing with obscuration.
• The findings are applicable to astronomical imaging with segmented mirror telescopes and laser beam propagation.
• Mitigation strategies for turbulence effects should consider pupil geometry and obscuration.