Binary phase-only pupil filters application to high-aperture confocal microscopy

Abstract

According to the vector diffraction theory, we study a new method to design binary phase-only filters applied to high-aperture objectives, and obtain the approximate relationship between superresolution parameters and filter parameters. The validity of this approximate relationship is dicussed. Then we can design superresolving filters in terms of this relationship. In the end, those filters are applied to confocal microscopy to reduce the strength of secondary lobes. Numerical results show that the pupil filters designed by us can achieve axial superresolution.