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Updated: May 15, 2026

Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO
Published on: February 12, 2013
Guide-star-based computational adaptive optics for broadband interferometric tomography
Steven G Adie1, Nathan D Shemonski, Benedikt W Graf
1Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA ; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
Abstract:
We present a method for the numerical correction of optical aberrations based on indirect sensing of the scattered wavefront from point-like scatterers ("guide stars") within a three-dimensional broadband interferometric tomogram. This method enables the correction of high-order monochromatic and chromatic aberrations utilizing guide stars that are revealed after numerical compensation of defocus and low-order aberrations of the optical system. Guide-star-based aberration correction in a silicone phantom with sparse sub-resolution-sized scatterers demonstrates improvement of resolution and signal-to-noise ratio over a large isotome. Results in highly scattering muscle tissue showed improved resolution of fine structure over an extended volume. Guide-star-based computational adaptive optics expands upon the use of image metrics for numerically optimizing the aberration correction in broadband interferometric tomography, and is analogous to phase-conjugation and time-reversal methods for focusing in turbid media.
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