Error analysis of large-diameter subaperture stitching Fresnel diffractive elements.

Image quality is dramatically influenced by the stitching errors in a large-diameter stitching Fresnel lens. In this paper, we studied three kinds of errors that can cover all stitching errors in a Cornwell deployed Fresnel lens. In particular, a 300-mm-diameter, three-belt deployed Fresnel diffractive lens was simulated to investigate the stitching error. The star test and the resolution board test experiments were conducted, and the experimental results fit the simulation results. This means that our error analysis theory and simulation method are efficient and accurate and could be used to guide future super-large aperture stitching. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America