Calculation of Optical Transfer Function from Lens-Design Data

Abstract

A description is given of a calculation procedure for obtaining the optical transfer function of an optical system from its design data for both axial and extra-axial object points. The first part of the calculation involves determining the wave aberration of the system to the fifth order (in the classical sense), with vignetting taken into account. The second part involves calculating the optical transfer function from this aberration by the methods of physical optics (diffraction theory). A high-speed computer is required but the particular program to be written from the equations depends upon the kind of computer to be used.