Sub-Nyquist null aspheric testing using a computer-stored compensator

A novel method to demodulate undersampled interferograms using a computer-stored undersampled compensator is presented. First, the sine and cosine of the computer-stored wave front is correlated with the interferogram that emerges from the asphere under test. Afterward, these two correlation images are used to find the phase map. The detected phase of the correlation fringes is the estimated phase difference between the software compensator and the frame-grabbed interferogram. The prior information required for this method is a good knowledge of the wave front being tested to a few wavelengths of error. Complying with this prior knowledge, the undersampled interferogram under analysis may be easily demodulated. Given that the proposed method is based on the correlation of the frame-grabbed interferogram and the computer-stored one, the method also withstands noise.