One-bit correlator concept for high-resolution speckle imaging

Hans Weghorn

doi:10.1117/12.188020

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30 September 1994 One-bit correlator concept for high-resolution speckle imaging

Hans Weghorn

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Proceedings Volume 2263, Current Developments in Optical Design and Optical Engineering IV; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.188020
Event: SPIE's 1994 International Symposium on Optics, Imaging, and Instrumentation, 1994, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

With large-ground based telescopes it is not possible to achieve the theoretical diffraction-limited spatial resolution. The reason is the turbulent earth atmosphere which disturbs the light wavefronts coming from the observed astronomical objects. Due to this influence, short exposures consist of bright and dark interference patterns, and they are therefore called speckle interferograms. With correlation techniques the diffraction-limited information about the observed object can be deconvolved from a set of such speckle interferograms. The investigation of the detector accuracy, which is required for a successful working of the correlation methods, manifests this simple fact: one bit of dynamic range is enough to feasibly detect astronomical speckle interferograms for the high-resolution methods. The method of correlating interferometric data having only a dynamic range of one bit is seen to be useful for astronomical high-resolution imaging at optical wavelengths. The new detector principle was first investigated in detail in computer simulations. It is now motivated additionally by laboratory simulations which should give a more realistic view of true astronomical observations, because in them nearly all technical problems should be considered sufficiently.

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Hans Weghorn "One-bit correlator concept for high-resolution speckle imaging", Proc. SPIE 2263, Current Developments in Optical Design and Optical Engineering IV, (30 September 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.188020

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