Experimental validation of hybrid optical–digital imaging system for extended depth-of-field based on co-optimized binary phase masks

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the performance of co-optimized hybrid optical-digital imaging systems based on binary phase masks and digital deconvolution for extended depth-of-field (DoF) under narrow-band illumination hypothesis. These systems are numerically optimized by assuming a simple generic imaging model. Using images of DoF targets and real scenes, we experimentally demonstrate that in practice, they actually reach the DoF range for which they have been optimized. Moreover, they are shown to be robust against small mask manufacturing errors and residual spherical aberration in the optical system. These results demonstrate that the optical/digital optimization protocol based on generic imaging model can be safely used to design DoF-enhanced imaging systems aimed at real-world applications.