Versatile all-digital transport-of-intensity based wavefront sensor and adaptive optics using a DMD

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Wavefront Sensing and Adaptive Optics

Background:

• Wavefront aberration measurement is crucial in diverse fields like ophthalmology, astronomy, and microscopy.
• Current methods often rely on intensity measurements to infer phase, with transport-of-intensity being a key technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, all-digital scheme for dynamic wavefront phase retrieval and adaptive optics correction.
• To demonstrate a versatile, cost-effective, and high-resolution method using a digital micro-mirror device (DMD).

Main Methods:

• Utilized a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) to perform angular spectrum propagation for phase retrieval.
• Employed the transport-of-intensity equation to extract wavefront information.
• Implemented a second DMD for conjugate phase modulation in an adaptive optics system.

Main Results:

• Successfully extracted wavefronts, including Zernike aberrations and turbulent phase screens, at multiple wavelengths and polarizations.
• Demonstrated real-time adaptive optics correction with effective distortion compensation.
• Achieved high resolution, tuneable sensitivity, and broadband, polarization-invariant wavefront recovery.

Conclusions:

• The proposed DMD-based system offers a versatile, fast, accurate, and compact solution for wavefront sensing and adaptive optics.
• This all-digital approach simplifies and enhances phase retrieval and correction capabilities for various optical applications.