Focusing in a largeF-number optical system

The true focal spot of a focusing system may be defined as either the location of the maximum on-axis intensity or the location of the minimum beam diameter that contains a certain fraction of the power. Diffraction causes this true focus to be shifted from the ideal geometrical optics prediction, the effect being greatest at largeF-numbers. Specifically, a theoretical and experimental study is made of the largeF-number focusing properties of a thin lens in contact with a uniformly illuminated aperture. The results are clarified by a comparison to the focal spot shift for a Gaussian beam.