Imaging and Magnification Properties in Holography

A formula, which is the equivalent of the law of refraction for a single refracting surface, is derived for the holographic case. The second degree aperture terms in the wavefront aberration function are obtained for a general holographic system, no approximation being made for the inclinations of the reference waves in either the recording or the reconstruction. These second degree terms are used to define the location of the image point. It is shown that, where the reconstruction reference wave differs appreciably from that used for the recording of the hologram, the image is not merely magnified or reduced, but is also anamorphotic. Formulae are derived for the azimuths of each of the principal sections and for the two magnifications in these sections. It is then possible to establish the nature of holographic image formation in the general case.