Abstract
Because diffraction and aberration affect the performance of the optical system, a new metric is advanced that emphasizes the link between these three aspects. In general, the modulation transfer function is used as a measure for contrast sensitivity reduction, whereas the root mean square error is often used to quantify the optical quality of the system. However, for a given object, wavefront aberrations can alter the output image very differently even though they have the same root mean square error and modulation transfer function profile. A distinction between coherent and incoherent illumination is made, and a new measure, called optical transfer error, is defined to characterize optical performance complementarily to root mean square and modulation transfer function. The optical transfer error measures the optical excellence in terms of the shape of the wavefront as well as the theoretical performance results. Several illustrations are presented to better discuss optical performance.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
