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TitleHigh-speed phase stepping radial shear interferometer for near-real-time display of laser wavefront shape
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2000
AuthorsCheung, D.C.L., Haskell T.G., and Barnes T.H.
JournalOptik (Jena)
Volume111
Issue9
Pagination385 - 392
Date Published2000
ISSN00304026 (ISSN)
KeywordsAdaptive optics, Algorithms, Helium neon lasers, Interferometers, Lase wavefront aberrations, Laser beams, Lenses, Light polarization, Michelson interferometers, Mirrors, Optical beam splitters, Phase stepping radial shear interferometers, Piezoelectric devices, Wavefronts
AbstractWe describe a novel phase stepping common path radial shearing interferometer which is capable of measuring laser wavefront shape with a reproducibility of λ/40 over a 16×16 pixel array with an update rate of greater than 15 per second. Our system uses a polarization Sagnac interferometer incorporating an afocal lens system, followed by a Michelson interferometer with a polarizing beamsplitter and piezo driven phase stepping mirror. We use a simple modification of the well-known four-step phase stepping algorithm to improve the operation speed of the interferometer. Although we demonstrate operation of the system using 633 nm HeNe laser light, our setup has potential for operation in white light for adaptive optics applications.
URLhttp://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-0033684815&partnerID=40&md5=46ea942af09c7108621a8789adafda32

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