No abstract

No abstract

At observation planes away from the image plane, an imaging lens is a nonimaging optic. We examine the variation of axial irradiance with distance in image space and highlight the following little-known observation for discussion: On a per-unit-area basis, the position of the highest concentration in image space is generally not at the focal plane. This characteristic is contrary to common experience, and it offers an additional degree of freedom for the design of detection systems. Additionally, it would also apply to lenses with negative refractive index. The position of peak concentration and its irradiance is dependent upon the location and irradiance of the image. As such, this discussion also includes a close examination of expressions for image irradiance and explains how they are related to irradiance calculations beyond the image plane. This study is restricted to rotationally symmetric refractive imaging systems with incoherent extended Lambertian sources.

By combining Fourier optics with classical radiometry, a simple, compact formula is derived for computing the absolute irradiance of diffracted and aberrated images in optical systems. Within appropriate limits, the formula reduces to the familiar equations of classical radiometry and of physical optics. It is argued that the approach presented is pedagogically appealing as it combines the principal results of geometrical optics, physical optics and radiometry into a single equation, thus, providing a convenient and simple means of describing imaging phenomena at the level of an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate course on radiometry. A practical example concerning the image irradiance of stars is discussed.

No abstract