Research on the sparse aperture configuration of pseudo-Golay6

Sparse aperture optical systems use a reduced aperture area to synthesize optical performance of a filled aperture. The relative arrangement of sub-apertures is a key for the design of sparse aperture. Golay configurations are a series of sparse apertures which are nonredundant configurations and have uniform MTF. A novel sparse aperture configuration named pseudo-Golay6 is proposed, which is also nonredundant configuration. It is based on the analysis of one dimensional array arrangement and array optimization. The relative arrangement of the sub-apertures of pupil is similar with the Golay's. The sub-apertures are arranged on the sides of the equilateral triangle. It has advantage of simple configuration and uniform MTF. The arrangement of the sub-apertures is analyzed, and the MTF is also studied. Image simulation of the pseudo-Golay6 is developed, and it has been compared with the performance of Golay6. The results show that the array of pseudo-Golay6 is nonredundant and has uniform arrangement at the spatial frequency space. The sub-MTFs of pseudo-Golay6 are not overlap except at zero frequency. The cutoff spatial frequency is highest at the direction of π3, the cutoff spatial frequency is lowest at the direction of π6, . The practical effective diameter of pseudo-Golay6 is larger than that of Golay6 ,and the highest cutoff spatial frequency is higher than that of Golay6 with the same fill factor. At each different direction, the sub-MTF arrangement of pseudo-Golay6 is less uniform than that of Golay6.