A differentiable wave optics model for end-to-end imaging system optimization

In imaging system design, computational applications and optical components are interdependent. End-to-end optimization, jointly optimizing hardware and software, is a prevalent approach. However, most optical simulators use ray optic models, which may lack real-world fidelity. We propose a differentiable wave optics model that accurately simulates light propagation. It exposes performance disparities among physical models. Integrated with unrolled FISTA and color filters, the system consistently yields clear measurements and accurate recovery. By noting the performance degradation caused by deviations from real-world physics, our wave optics model is a superior choice for end-to-end imaging system design.