Half-width at half-maximum, full-width at half-maximum analysis for resolution of asymmetrically apodized optical systems with slit apertures

Abstract

Resolution for the modified point spread function (PSF) of asymmetrically apodized optical systems has been analysed by a new parameter half-width at half-maximum (HWHM) in addition to the well-defined parameter full-width at half-maximum (FWHM). The distribution of half-maximum energy in the centroid of modified PSF has been investigated in terms of HWHM on good side and HWHM on bad side. We observed that as the asymmetry in PSF increases, FWHM of the main peak increases and then decreases and is being aided by the degree of amplitude apodization in the central region of slit functions. In the present study, HWHM (half-width at half-maximum) of the resultant PSF has been defined to characterize the resolution of the detection system. It is essentially a line of projection, which measures the width of the main lobe at its half-maximum position from the diffraction centre and has been computed for various amplitudes and antiphase apodizations of the slit aperture. We have noticed that HWHM on the good side decreases at the cost of the increased HWHM on the bad side in the presence of asymmetric apodization.