A wavefront sensor includes a mask and a sensor utilized to capture a diffraction pattern generated by light incident to the mask. A reference image is captured in response to a plane wavefront incident on the mask, and another measurement image is captured in response to a distorted wavefront incident on the mask. The distorted wavefront is reconstructed based on differences between the reference image and the measurement image.

A wavefront sensor includes a mask and a sensor utilized to capture a diffraction pattern generated by light incident to the mask. A reference image is captured in response to a plane wavefront incident on the mask, and another measurement image is captured in response to a distorted wavefront incident on the mask. The distorted wavefront is reconstructed based on differences between the reference image and the measurement image.

The wavefront measurement device performs: generating a first pupil function at a reference wavelength based on input data of a wavefront aberration; calculating a first image plane amplitude at a reference wavelength based on the first pupil function; generating a second pupil function at a multi-wavelength region; calculating a second image plane amplitude at the multi-wavelength region based on the second pupil function; correcting a measured point spread function using the first and second image plane amplitudes; applying a constraint condition using the corrected point spread function to the first image plane amplitude to correct the first image plane amplitude; generating a third pupil function based on the corrected first image plane amplitude; and calculating a wavefront aberration on a pupil plane based on the third pupil function.

Systems, methods and apparatus to profile atmospheric turbulence. The apparatus includes a telescope having a telescope optical axis and a laser to generate a plurality of pulses at a pulse repetition rate. A laser beam mechanism, coupled to the laser, has a laser optical axis substantially coincident with the telescope optical axis, such that the plurality of pulses forms a collimated laser beam propagating along the telescope optical axis. The apparatus also includes at least one shutter coupled to the telescope and one or more wavefront sensors, coupled to the shutter, which acts as a range gate for the wavefront sensor. A controller is coupled to the laser and the shutter to coordinate operation of the shutter with a pulse of the plurality of pulses.

The invention relates to a method for the two-dimensional reconstruction of wave fronts (104) of light for use in an optical system (100) comprising: measuring the distribution function of the light intensity in at least two images at different optical planes (101, 102) having an optical path difference. In particular this method is suitable for probing the tomographical distribution of wave fronts of electromagnetic fields with an image detector, e.g. any standard two-dimensional camera.

The present invention relates to a method comprising reception of an incident electromagnetic wave (9) by a diffractive element (2) and conversion of this incident electromagnetic wave (9) into a diffracted electromagnetic wave (10) by the diffractive element (2); reception of the diffracted electromagnetic wave (10) by a matrix-array sensor (4) comprising a matrix-array of pixels that are aligned along one or two axes of pixel alignment (13, 14). The method comprises a plurality of acquisitions, by the matrix-array sensor (4), of a signal of the diffracted electromagnetic wave (10) corresponding to a plurality of relative positions between the diffractive element (2) and the matrix-array sensor (4). The invention also relates to a device (1) implementing this method.

A compact adaptive optics system for long-range horizontal paths imaging that improves degraded images. The system uses a filter that corresponds to the three colors in a typical color detector element, one or more optic elements, a deformable mirror, and a detector. Focus errors, due to turbulence, in the image recorded by the detector element show up as image shifts in the three distinct color images. The shifts and statistics of these shifts between these simultaneous images are used to create control signals for the deformable mirror resulting in a compact adaptive optic system for horizontal paths without need for a point source located at the distance scene being imaged. Analysis of the relative pixel shifts in various regions of the image provides third order statistics revealing tip/tilt and additional Zernikes modes that are used to control a deformable mirror without the need for a guide star/point-source.

With regard to a particularly precise measurement of a wavefront using structurally simple means, a method for measuring a curved wavefront using a wavefront sensor is specified, wherein a plurality of measurements are carried out at different positions along the wavefront using at least one wavefront sensor in order to determine a local gradient of the wavefront at the different positions, which method is characterized in that the plurality of measurements are carried out in each case with a substantially tangential alignment of a light entrance plane of the wavefront sensor(s) with the curved wavefront. A corresponding apparatus for measuring a curved wavefront using a wavefront sensor is also specified.

The present application relates to a device for testing optical properties and a method for testing optical properties using the same. The device of the present application has inexpensive manufacturing and maintenance costs, is capable of testing a wide range of plane directional phase differences, and provides the method for testing optical properties with improved identification efficiency of the phase retardation axis.

An optical detection system for detecting data on the optical mutual coherence function of input field. The system comprising an encoder having similar unit cells, and an array of sensor cells located at a distance downstream of said unit cells with respect to a general direction of propagation of input light. The array defines a plurality of sub-array unit cells, each sub-array corresponding to a unit cell of the encoder, and each sub-array comprising a predetermined number M of sensor elements. The encoder applies predetermined modulation to input light collected by the system, such that each unit cell of said encoder directs a portion of the collected input light incident thereon onto sub-array unit cell corresponding therewith and one or more neighboring sub-array unit cells within a predetermined proximity region. The number M is determined in accordance with a predetermined number of sub-arrays unit cells within the proximity region.