Depth of field extension through polarization aberrations

This paper focuses on depth of field (DOF) extension through polarization aberrations. The addition of polarizing elements into an optical system allows to exploit the polarization of the incoming light as an additional degree of freedom in the optical system design. Two optical systems have been studied: the first characterized by the presence of polarizing thin film coated optical surfaces, the second based on the addition of an anisotropic birefringent waveplate into the path of light rays of an optical system. The polarization dependent DOF of these two systems are compared. It is shown that the effect of polarizing elements is similar to a polarization dependent apodization of the pupil.