One-dimensional diffuser for a three-dimensional imaging system

An analysis is made of a method of using a photographic plate to obtain a diffuser whose scattering indicatrix in one direction is more than two orders of magnitude wider than that in the perpendicular direction. This method involves recording a particular speckle pattern on a photographic plate. A description is given of the photochemical treatment of the plate used to ensure that the diffuser does not possess a zeroth diffraction order. An analysis is made of the difference between the theoretical and experimentally measured scattering indicatrix of the diffuser. This difference is attributable to the nonlinearity of the diffuser fabrication process.