Propagation characteristics of flattened Gaussian beams through a misaligned optical system with a misaligned annular aperture

The approximate analytical formula for flattened Gaussian beams through a misaligned optical system with a misaligned annular aperture was derived by the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle. Some numerical simulations are illustrated to the effects on the propagation of flattened Gaussian beams by the misaligned annular aperture. To compare the difference between annular apertured system and circular apertured system, the circular apertured system is also studied. The results show that angle misalignments and lateral displacements of aperture create asymmetrical average intensity distribution at receiving plane z = 500. The effects on intensity distribution by angle misalignments of annular aperture were small. In annular aperture case, the smooth of intensity distribution was worse with escalating obscure ratio epsilon in near-field; the side-lobes increased and the central lobe decreased with escalating obscure ratio epsilon in far-field. At receiving plane z = 500: for circular aperture, the side-lobes decreased, even to be neglected, with the increasing of truncation parameter delta; for annular aperture, the side-lobes increased with the increasing of truncation parameter delta. In addition, it is found that the aligned thin lens can fix asymmetry of intensity distribution which was caused by the misaligned annular aperture. (C) 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.