An optimal binary amplitude-phase mask for hybrid imaging systems that exhibit high resolution and extended depth of field.

The design of a circularly symmetric hybrid imaging system that exhibits high resolution as well as extended depth of field is presented. The design, which assumes spatially incoherent illumination, searches for an optimal "binary amplitude and phase" pupil mask, which for a certain desired depth of field, provides the largest spatial frequency band that assures a certain desired contrast value. The captured images are electronically processed by an off-line Wiener filter, to finally obtain high quality output images. Simulations as well as experimental results are provided. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America