Abstract

Imaging through distorting media using conventional phase conjugation presents the severe limitation of having object and image on the same side of the imaging system and distorting medium. Phase conjugation in its one-way form removes this limitation, yet offers only limited phase correction capability. We describe a generalized one-way phase conjugation system using partially coherent light which transforms one-way phase conjugation into twoway phase conjugation, i.e., the one-way phase conjugation system behaves as if it were a two-way system. Therefore, the distortion correction is given by the twoway method and the object-image position is given by the one-way method. We have previously described hybrid systems embodying concepts of superresolution by in- coherent-to-coherent conversion and twoway phase conjugation.¹ We have also described one-way phase conjugation systems using spatially incoherent light where the system aperture was reduced to compensate for the loss of light coherence.² Here we extend the analysis to the partially coherent case that retains the advantage of the oneway phase conjugation method. We also demonstrate the relationship between the size of the light source and the numerical aperture of the system.

© 1989 Optical Society of America