Irradiance moments: their propagation and use for unique retrieval of phase

Abstract

The functional dependence of irradiance moments with distance from the pupil plane is studied within the framework of Fresnel diffraction theory. The concept of analytic pupil function is introduced, and for such pupil functions it is shown that any finite-order irradiance moment exists, even in the presence of arbitrary continuous phase aberrations. The uniqueness of the relationship between pupil-plane phase and irradiance moments, when the moments are calculated over an orthogonal plane at a fixed point along the optical axis in image space, is obscure, and the relationship between phase and moments is generally nonlinear. However, by studying the behavior of irradiance moments throughout the neighborhood of a given axial point in image space, one may determine, for a large class of pupils, the pupil-plane phase uniquely (within an arbitrary additive constant), and only a linear problem need be solved for phase retrieval. In particular, unique phase retrieval may be accomplished by measuring moments in the neighborhood of either the pupil plane or the image plane. Examples of this technique are given.