title: Theoretical analysis for best defocus measurement plane for robust phase retrieval.
abstract: We study the phase retrieval (PR) technique using through-focus intensity measurements and explain the dependence of PR on the defocus distance. An optimal measurement plane in the out-of-focus region is identified where the intensity distribution on the optical axis drops to the first minimum after focus. Experimental results confirm the theoretical predictions and are in good agreement with an independent phase measurement.
authors.affiliation: Optics Research Group, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands. a.polo@tudelft.nl
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polo
authors.forename: Silvania F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Urbach