Ray tracing, wavefronts, and caustics: use of Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor for analyzing light propagation

Salvador Bosch; Santiago Vallmitjana; Carme Ferran

doi:10.1117/12.826207

21 August 2009 Ray tracing, wavefronts, and caustics: use of Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor for analyzing light propagation

Salvador Bosch, Santiago Vallmitjana, Carme Ferran

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7429, Novel Optical Systems Design and Optimization XII; 74290L (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.826207
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2009, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Wavefront measurements are a key point in the development of imaging techniques. Nowadays, a common tool for these measurements is the Shack-Hartmann sensor, where the results are often given in terms of the Zernike polynomials. The interpretation of the results, as one moves the Shack-Hartmann sensor in the axial zone, is sometimes difficult as it involves the task of visualizing the geometrical propagation of the wavefront. We present a numerical tool based on ray tracing that visualizes wavefronts and caustics as the beam propagates and enables the calculation of the Zernike polynomials at any intermediate stage.

Citation Download Citation

Salvador Bosch, Santiago Vallmitjana, and Carme Ferran "Ray tracing, wavefronts, and caustics: use of Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor for analyzing light propagation", Proc. SPIE 7429, Novel Optical Systems Design and Optimization XII, 74290L (21 August 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.826207

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