Imaging theory of an aplanatic system with a stratified medium based on the method for a vector coherent transfer function

Opt Lett. 2006 Oct 15;31(20):2978-80. doi: 10.1364/ol.31.002978.

Abstract

A simple formalism relating image fields to object fields, similar to that of the scalar and paraxial case, is presented for an aplanatic system obeying the sine condition, which shows that the vector plane-wave spectrum of image fields is equal to the product of the vector coherent transfer function due to the x- and y-polarized point electric field source and the scalar spectrum of the corresponding transverse object fields. Utilizing this formula and dyadic Green's function, a rigorous imaging theory of an aplanatic system for the point electric current source through a stratified medium is readily developed.