System design for a "checkerboard" imager.

In order to solve the problem of uneven spatial frequency sampling and lack of zero frequency sampling in the segmented planar imaging detector for electro-optical reconnaissance (SPIDER), we propose a "checkerboard" imaging system design using a square grid aperture arrangement, show its aperture matching method, and demonstrate that it can achieve the uniform sampling of all integer multiples of fundamental frequency in the highest frequency range with zero frequency in the direction of two orthogonal arrays. Through computer simulation, it is verified that the imaging effect of the "checkerboard" imaging system is superior to that of the SPIDER imaging system and the traditional single aperture imaging system at the same system diameter. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America