Abstract
We address the optimization of the relative arrangement (aperture configuration) of a phased array of optical telescopes, coherently combined to form images of extended objects in a common focal plane. A novel optimality criterion, which is directly linked to the restoration error of the original object from the recorded image, is derived. This criterion is then refined into a second criterion to accommodate the possible knowledge of the noise spectrum. The optimal configuration is a function of the maximum spatial frequency of interest (or desired resolution) and takes into account the diameters of the elementary telescopes. Simulations illustrate the usefulness of this criterion for designing a synthetic-aperture optical instrument with three, four, and five telescopes.
© 1996 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
A. F. Boden, D. C. Redding, R. J. Hanisch, and J. Mo
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 13(7) 1537-1545 (1996)
Aden Baker Meinel and Marjorie Pettit Meinel
Appl. Opt. 43(3) 601-607 (2004)
Fabien Baron, Isabelle Mocoeur, Frédéric Cassaing, and Laurent M. Mugnier
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 25(5) 1000-1015 (2008)