Phase-aberration correction with dual liquid-crystal spatial light modulators

A phase-aberration-correction system that uses high-resolution, twisted nematic liquid-crystal spatial light modulators in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer is presented. A correction algorithm is described and experimentally verified by use initially of one liquid-crystal panel. Phase aberrations are successfully removed by a single liquid-crystal panel, but unacceptably high amplitude variation is introduced into the wave front because of the phase-amplitude coupling of the spatial light modulator. A second panel is used to remove the amplitude modulation. The modified optical system with a multiplicative architecture is described, and results are presented that show the correction of phase aberrations with an amplitude variation of less than 10%.