Polarization Aberrations in Imaging Systems

这项建议中描述的研究涉及对成像系统中仪器偏振的有害影响进行建模和校正。它是从生物医学显微镜的应用出发，以显微镜为理论和实验模型系统，但其研究的问题、方法和结果在光学工程中具有广泛的意义。图像形成、退化和恢复的模型将基于偏振像差扩展，以类似于经典波像差理论的方式分解光瞳中的偏振变化。偏振显微镜和差分干涉对比显微镜这两个特定系统中的二维和三维成像模型将被开发出来，并通过实验观察进行测试。图像质量将通过点扩展和调制传递函数进行评估。将寻求测量偏振像差的方法。了解偏振敏感系统中的图像形成、退化和恢复将为未来的仪器设计提供指导，并将通过了解光学、图像传感器、和后处理器。

The research described in this proposal is concerned with modelling and correcting the deleterious effects of instrumental polarization in imaging systems. It is motivated by applications in biomedical microscopy, and uses microscopy as a theoretical and experimental model system, but the problems, methods, and results of this research are of broad significance in optical engineering. Models for image formation, degradation and restoration will be based on the polarization aberration expansion, decomposing polarization variations in the pupil in a manner analogous to classical wave aberration theory. Models for two and three-dimensional imaging in tow specific systems, the polarization and differential interference contrast microscopes, will be developed and tested by experimental observations. Image quality will be evaluated by point-spread and modulation transfer functions. Methods for measuring polarization aberrations will be sought. Understanding image formation, degradation, and restoration in polarization-sensitive systems will provide guidance for future instrument designs, and will support a unified approach to system design through understanding the respective contributions and tradeoffs of the optics, image sensor, and post- processor.