The Imaging Properties and Aberrations of Thick Transmission Holograms

Expressions are derived for the amplitude and phase variations across the reconstructed wavefront of a thick transmission hologram. The expressions can be used to describe the field variations in the region of the Gaussian image point or, alternatively. to describe the wavefront as it emerges from the hologram surface. Comparison with the ideal, Gaussian ‘reference’ sphere centred on the image point allows a pupil function to be defined. This differs from the pupil function of lens aberration theory in that it possesses spatial amplitude variations, as well as phase variations. Some predictions of the theory are illustrated by graphical examples. Experimental results are given.