Optical system and method for multi-range and dual-range imaging

1. An imaging system for use in multi-range imaging of an object scene by incoherent light, said imaging system being configured as an all-optical imaging system comprising aligned a phase mask section, a single focus lens section, and a pixel detector array (PDA), said phase mask section having a generally non-diffractive, narrowly bounded, phase variation corresponding to a profile of a through-object Modulated Transfer Function (MTF) of said imaging system, said profile having, at an at least one non-zero spatial frequency, at least two regions of growth leading to the MTF higher than 10%.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein said profile has one of the following configurations: (a) is an average profile for a region of wavelengths; (b) has exactly two peaks higher than 10%; (c) has more than two peaks higher than 10%; (d) has exactly two peaks higher than 15%; (e) has exactly three peaks higher than 15%; (f) has exactly two peaks higher than 20%; (g) has exactly two peaks higher than 25%; (h) has exactly two peaks higher than 30%; and (i) has exactly two peaks higher than 35%.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein said profile is an average profile for a region of visible wavelengths.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the through-object MTF is on-axis.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein said profile has one of the following configurations: (i) is at a non-zero spatial frequency larger than 15% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by said lensing section and an average wavelength of said profile; (ii) is at a non-zero spatial frequency larger than 20% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by said lensing section and an average wavelength of said profile; and (iii) is at a non-zero spatial frequency larger than 25% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by said lensing section and an average wavelength of said profile.

6. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein said profile has exactly two peaks higher than 10%, an MTF profile determined at a spatial frequency being 6% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by said lensing section and an average wavelength of said profile, has a ratio of a contrast at a bottom of a trough between two highest profile peaks and a contrast at a top of a smaller of said two highest peaks being smaller than 60%.

7. The imaging system of claim 1 , said non-zero spatial frequency is determined as one of the following: (1) is smaller than 5% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by said lensing section and an average wavelength of said profile; (2) is smaller than 4% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by said lensing section and an average wavelength of said profile; (3) is smaller than 3% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by said lensing section and an average wavelength of said profile.

8. The imaging system of claim 1 , said mask being substantially binary.

9. The imaging system of claim 1 , a difference of phase effects of said mask section being larger than π and smaller than 3π/2.

10. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein an average transparency of said phase mask section and said lensing section satisfies one of the following conditions: is larger than 50%; is larger than 75%; is larger than 90%.

11. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein a local transparency of said phase mask section and said lensing section is larger than 10%.

12. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein an average wavelength of said profile is in one of the following ranges: in ultraviolet range; in visible range; and in near, short, or middle infrared range.

13. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein an average size of features of said phase mask section satisfies one of the following conditions: is larger than 4λ, λ being an average wavelength of said profile; is larger than 20λ, λ being an average wavelength of said profile; is larger than 100λ, λ being an average wavelength of said profile; is larger than 400λ, λ being an average wavelength of said profile.

14. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein a distance between said lensing section and said PDA is smaller than 1 cm.

15. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein said phase mask section comprises ring-shaped phase effects or rectangular phase effects.

16. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the phase variation of said phase mask section satisfies one of the following conditions: is in a range narrower than 16π, is in a range narrower than 8π, is in a range narrower than 4π, is in a range narrower than 2π.

17. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein said profile has exactly two peaks higher than 10%, a ratio between peaks of a through-object MTF profile at a spatial frequency being 6% of incoherent cutoff frequency satisfies one of the following conditions: is larger than 100%, is larger than 120%, frequency is larger than 140%, is smaller than 100%, is smaller than 80%, is smaller than 65%, where said incoherent cutoff frequency is determined by said lensing section and an average wavelength of said profile, said ratio being a ratio of a contrast at a top of a near of two highest peaks to a contrast at a top of a far of two highest peaks, said peaks being two highest peaks higher than 10%.

18. The imaging system of claim 1 , said profile having at least one peak higher than 10% being within 10-30 cm from the first principal plane of said system, and at least one region of growth leading to a contrast higher than 10% at a distance further than 50 cm from the first principal plane of the imaging system.

19. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein said profile has exactly two peaks higher than 10%, at least one of said peaks higher than 10% being within 10-30 cm from the first principal plane of said system, and at least one of said peaks higher than 10% being further than 50 cm from the first principal plane.

20. The optical system of claim 1 , said profile having exactly said two regions of growth.

21. A phase mask for use in imaging system for multi-range imaging of an object scene by incoherent light, said phase mask having a generally non-diffractive, narrowly bounded, phase variation corresponding to a profile of a through-object Modulated Transfer Function (MTF), the MTF determined for an imaging system geometry determined by a focus length of converging single-focus lens in alignment with said phase mask and by a distance from the lens to imaging plane, said profile having, at an at least one non-zero spatial frequency and at least one distance from the phase mask to the imaging plane, at least two peaks higher than 10%, whereby enabling all-optical imaging of an object scene in the imaging plane.

22. The phase mask of claim 21 , said profile being an average profile for a region of wavelengths.

23. The phase mask of claim 22 , said region being the region of visible wavelengths.

24. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein the through-object MTF is on-axis.

25. The phase mask of claim 21 , said profile having one of the following configurations: has exactly two peaks higher than 10%; has more than two peaks higher than 10%; has exactly two peaks higher than 15%; has exactly three peaks higher than 15%; has exactly two peaks higher than 20%; has exactly two peaks higher than 25%; has exactly two peaks higher than 30%; has exactly two peaks higher than 35%.

26. The phase mask of claim 21 , said profile has one of the following features: is at a non-zero spatial frequency larger than 15% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by an aperture of said mask, said focus length, and an average wavelength of said profile; is at a non-zero spatial frequency larger than 20% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by an aperture of said mask, said focus length, and an average wavelength of said profile; is at a non-zero spatial frequency larger than 25% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by an aperture of said mask, said focus length, and an average wavelength of said profile.

27. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein an MTF profile determined at a spatial frequency being 6% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by an aperture of said mask, said focus length, and an average wavelength of said profile, has a ratio of a contrast at a bottom of a trough between two highest profile peaks and a contrast at a top of a smaller of said two highest peaks being smaller than 30%.

28. The phase mask of claim 21 , said non-zero spatial frequency satisfying one of the following conditions: being smaller than 5% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by an aperture of said mask, said focus length, and an average wavelength of said profile; being smaller than 4% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by an aperture of said mask, said focus length, and an average wavelength of said profile; being smaller than 3% of incoherent cut-off frequency determined by an aperture of said mask, said focus length, and an average wavelength of said profile.

29. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein said mask is substantially binary.

30. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein a difference of phase effects of said mask is larger than π and smaller than 3π/2.

31. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein an average transparency of said mask satisfies one of the following conditions: is larger than 50%; is larger than 75%; is larger than 90%.

32. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein a local transparency of said mask is larger than 10%.

33. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein an average wavelength of said profile is in ultraviolet range; or in visible range; or in near, short, or middle infrared range.

34. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein an average size of features of said mask satisfies one of the following conditions: is larger than 4λ, is larger than 20, is larger than 100λ, is larger than 400λ, λ being an average wavelength of said profile.

35. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein said focal length is smaller than 1 cm.

36. The phase mask of claim 21 , comprising ring-shaped phase effects or rectangular phase effects.

37. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein the phase variation satisfies one of the following conditions: is in a range narrower than 16π, is in a range narrower than 8π, is in a range narrower than 4π, is in a range narrower than 2π.

38. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein a ratio between peaks of a through-object MTF profile at a spatial frequency being 6% of incoherent cutoff frequency satisfies one of the following conditions: is larger than 100%, is larger than 120%, is larger than 140%, is smaller than 100%, is smaller than 80%, is smaller than 65%, said incoherent cutoff frequency being determined by an aperture of said mask, said focus length and an average wavelength of said profile, said ratio being a ratio of a contrast at a top of a near of two highest peaks to a contrast at a top of a far of two highest peaks, said peaks being two highest peaks higher than 10%.

39. The phase mask of claim 21 , at least one of said peaks higher than 10% being within 10-30 cm from the first principal plane, and at least one of said peaks higher than 10% being further than 50 cm from the first principal plane.

40. The phase mask of claim 21 , said profile corresponding to a distance from the phase mask to the imaging plane being equal to said focus length of converging single-focus lens.

41. The phase mask of claim 21 , wherein said MTF is determined for a substantially zero distance between the mask and the lens.

42. An optical unit comprising the phase mask of claim 21 and a single-focus lensing section, aligned with the mask.

43. The optical unit of claim 42 , wherein said lensing section is the only lensing section of a lens.

44. The optical unit of claim 42 , wherein said phase mask and said single-focus lensing section have one of the following configurations: form a monolith; are rigidly joined; are attached.

45. The optical unit of claim 42 , having one of the following configurations: said phase mask is at an exit pupil of said single-focus lensing section; said phase mask is at an entrance pupil of said single-focus lensing section; wherein said phase mask is at an aperture stop of said single-focus lensing section.

46. A kit comprising the phase mask of claim 21 and a single-focus lensing section.

47. The kit of claim 46 , wherein said phase mask and said lensing section are of the same aperture.

48. A phone, comprising the optical system of claim 1 .

49. The phone of claim 48 , said phone being a mobile phone.

50. A camera, comprising the phase mask of claim 21 .

51. The camera of claim 50 , said camera being a photo camera or a video camera.

52. A phase mask for use in imaging system for multi-range imaging of an object scene by incoherent light, said phase mask having a generally non-diffractive, narrowly bounded, phase variation corresponding to a profile of a through-object Modulated Transfer Function (MTF), the MTF determined for an imaging system geometry determined by a focus length of converging single-focus lens in alignment with said phase mask and by a distance from the phase mask to imaging plane, said profile having, at an at least one non-zero spatial frequency and at least one distance from the phase mask to the imaging plane, at least two regions of growth leading to the MTF higher than 10%, the imaging system being adapted to all-optical imaging of the object in the imaging plane.

53. Spectacles comprising the phase mask of claim 52 .

54. The phase mask of claim 52 , said mask configured for application to an eye as a contact lens.

55. The phase mask of claim 52 , said mask configured for implantation in an eye.

56. The phase mask of claim 52 , said phase mask comprising replicas of a basic phase pattern.

57. The phase mask of claim 56 , wherein said basic phase pattern corresponds to a characteristic profile of through-object Modulated Transfer Function (MTF).

58. The phase mask of claim 56 , said replicas being periodically or non-periodically distributed.

59. The phase mask of claim 56 , said replicas being distributed with a period increasing or decreasing from a mask center.

60. The phase mask of claim 52 , said phase mask comprising an arrangement of spaced-apart phase patterns, each of said phase patterns corresponding to a characteristic profile of through-object Modulated Transfer Function (MTF).

61. An imaging unit comprising the phase mask of claim 52 and achromatic lens.

62. A method for multi-range imaging by incoherent light, the method comprising collecting light from an object scene by an imaging system comprising aligned a phase mask section, a single focus lens section, and a pixel detector array (PDA), said phase mask section having a generally non-diffractive, narrowly bounded, phase variation corresponding to a profile of a through-object Modulated Transfer Function (MTF) of said imaging system, said profile having, at an at least one non-zero spatial frequency, at least two regions of growth leading to the MTF higher than 10%, said multi-range imaging being thereby all-optical imaging of the object scene in an imaging plane, eliminating a need of post processing of image data from PDA.