Resolution Limits of Pixellated Optical Components

Pixellated optical components, for example generalised confocal lenslet arrays (GCLAs), enable the design of optical devices which cannot be realised without introducing pixellation or a similar compromise. A key concern is the degradation of imaging quality due to the combined effects of diffraction, worst for smaller pixels, and the visibility of the pixels. Here we examine the effects of these two factors on image quality through use of our custom raytracer, Dr TIM. We also outline future work in developing these ideas more rigorously and applying the conclusions to more complicated devices.