Abstract

This paper contains a discussion of the application of the skew ray matrix formalism and the ray matrix diffraction integral¹ to problems where the paraxial ray limit is exceeded or where the rays and fields are expanded about a base ray that makes a large angle with the optical axis. One example is the point response function for fields around a large angle skew ray. Another example is the diffraction of patterns with detail so small that diffracted rays make excessively large angles. In such a case the angular region must be divided into regions where the small angle approximation applies.

© 1992 Optical Society of America