Novel Hybrid Analysis Techniques for Complex Optical Systems

Abstract

Non-traditional designs are being created to meet an increasing need for cheaper, smaller, more accurate, and more robust optical systems. Standard modeling approaches and quality metrics do not sufficiently describe these novel designs because the systems break standard assumptions and often require task specific metrics. New modeling and measurement techniques are required to determine the limitations and to improve performance. Many traditional optical modeling approaches simplify the analysis of optical systems by make assumptions. Complex optical systems require modeling methods that are more intensive which limits the development of non-traditional optical systems. Measurement and simulation frameworks that break up the optical systems into smaller components can relax the assumption of the simplified optical approaches without requiring the complexity of more complete approaches. This dissertation presents simulations and experimental measurements that leverage traditional optical design tools in conjunction with custom analysis methods to quantify the performance of non-traditional optical systems. The simulation methods and experimental measurements are demonstrated with four unique optical systems. Fourier processing and Mie theory were used to experimentally connect long-wave infrared image degradation to the properties of fog. Simulations of a snapshot channeled imaging polarimeter derived a fundamental limit for the extinction ratio of polarimeters that encode polarization information into spatially modulated irradiance patterns. Ray tracing and custom processing to combine wavefronts was used to simulate the interferogram of a snapshot Fourier transform spectrometer with spatially and spectral incoherent input. The workflow to designs and simulate a monolithic compressive classification system enabled the automated creation of a task-specific optical design.