Masato SHIBUYA^*, Hiroshi OOKI¹, Kimihiro SAITO² and Suezou NAKADATE

Department of Photonic Information and Media Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo Polytechnic University, 1583, Iiyama, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0297, Japan
¹Imaging Technology Development Department, Optical Technology Headquarters, Nikon Corporation, 201-9, Oaza-mizugahara, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-8559, Japan
²Optical Disc Development Division, Sony Corporation, 6-7-35, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0001, Japan

(Received October 1, 2004; Accepted November 1, 2004)

Using weak diffraction approximation, we can derive the effective point spread function (EPSF) as the Fourier transform of transmission cross coefficient (TCC) and show that the characteristics of an optical imaging system can be prospectively understood with EPSF. Especially, the halo phenomenon can be more precisely understood.

Key words: EPSF, point spread function, OTF, phase-contrast microscope, partially coherent imaging, weak diffraction approximation, TCC

^*E-mail address: shibuya@photo.t-kougei.ac.jp