Apodization to produce a monotonically-decreasing, radially symmetrical, point-spread function

Abstract

A class of apodized pupil functions is derived which have the property of producing a point-spread function which decreases monotonically with increasing radius. This in turn produces coherent line and edge images which are free of the usual subsidiary diffraction maxima and minima. An example of one of these functions is given, together with the point, coherent line and coherent edge images produced.