The application of the Rayleigh criterion to holographic images

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Rochester. College of Engineering and Applied Science. Institute of Optics, 1966.An experimental technique is presented which correlates the spatial resolution of a holographic image and the numerical aperture or f-number of the hologram producing that image with the Rayleigh criterion. Additional correlation is achieved by comparing the dimensions of a holographic image of a point source, i.e., an Airy disk pattern, with that required for the measured spatial resolution and the Rayleigh limit. The results show that the Rayleigh criterion is not too strict, and that a slightly better resolution capability is realized in a holographic system such as that used in this experiment