High-precision aberration retrieval with a scanning quadrant detector and gradient-based evolutionary particle swarm...

Area of Science:

• Optomechanics
• Optical system analysis
• Image processing

Background:

• Optomechanical structure degradation in quadrant detector (QD) systems causes aberrations, leading to spot distortion and reduced detection accuracy.
• Monitoring QD optical system imaging quality is essential for calibrating detection errors and ensuring reliable performance.
• Phase retrieval and calibration techniques offer advanced methods for system assessment and on-orbit monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for retrieving aberrations in QD optical systems.
• To enhance the accuracy and robustness of optical system health monitoring.
• To provide a reliable technical solution for detecting and correcting QD system performance degradation.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a new method of inverting spot energy distribution based on QD scanning, utilizing a stable self-calibrated light source.
• Developed a hybrid evolutionary particle swarm optimization (EPSO) and stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) phase diversity algorithm.
• Employed simulation and experimental validation to assess the proposed aberration retrieval technique.

Main Results:

• The hybrid EPSO-SPGD algorithm successfully retrieved aberrations in the QD optical system.
• The proposed method demonstrated high accuracy and robustness across various noise levels.
• Achieved a relative error of less than 2.5% in phase retrieval under specific conditions, outperforming traditional algorithms.

Conclusions:

• The novel QD scanning and hybrid algorithm provide an effective solution for optical system health monitoring.
• This technique offers significant performance advantages for detecting and correcting aberrations in QD systems.
• The findings contribute to improved reliability and longevity of optomechanical systems in demanding applications.