theastrophysicist

Guess the inverse 2-Dimensional Fourier Transform!

Image produced by HeNe laser beam through an aperture of a certain shape and a converging lens acting as a Fourier Transform (see link for more information). If you had the phase information, you could in principle deduce the shape of the original aperture, although in this case it isn’t too difficult to guess what the original aperture might be.

If anyone actually reads this and is wondering what labs to take, TAKE OPTICS LAB. You’ll discover that even in geometric optics, there’s so much more to learn!

Image credit: Taken with lab partner in Fall 09