Optical Engineering
The Meaning and Measure of Lateral Resolution for Surface Profiling Interferometers
Optical interferometers for surface characterization provide detailed information about surface topography, and they carry specifications related to the ultimate resolving power for 3-D imaging. It is worthwhile for engineers to understand the meaning of these specifications and the methods for validating them.
Courtesy of Zygo Corp.
Lateral resolution quantifies our ability to separate individual features from each other in an image. Traditional specifications for resolving power employ either single numbers, such as Rayleigh or Sparrow criteria, or detailed response information as a function of spatial period or frequency, as in the modulation transfer function (MTF). For straightforward incoherent imaging of light and dark or contrasting colors, as in a camera or a telescope, these definitions are clear and have well-known procedures for specification confirmation.
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