On-axis irradiance for spherically aberrated optical systems with obscured rec tangular apertures: a study using the Wigner distribution function

The assessment of optical focusing systems with obscured rectangular pupil masks su? ering from spherical aberration is performed by use of a novel technique for the computation of the irradiance distribution along the optical axis. It is shown that all the values of this function for a variable spherical aberration can be obtained from a single bidimensional phase-space representation: a Wigner distribution function associated with the pupil function of the system. Several numerical examples illustrating the behaviour of such aberrated systems are presented and some interesting features of the results are discussed.