Coded Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor

Abstract

Wavefront sensing is an old yet fundamental problem in adaptive optics. Traditional wavefront sensors are limited to time-consuming measurements, complicated and expensive setup, or low theoretically achievable resolution. In this thesis, we introduce an optically encoded and computationally decodable novel approach to the wavefront sensing problem: the Coded Shack-Hartmann. Our proposed Coded Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is inexpensive, easy to fabricate and calibrate, highly sensitive, accurate, and with high resolution. Most importantly, using simple optical flow tracking combined with phase smoothness prior, with the help of modern optimization technique, the computational part is split, efficient, and parallelized, hence real time performance has been achieved on Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), with high accuracy as well. This is validated by experimental results. We also show how optical flow intensity consistency term can be derived, using rigor scalar diffraction theory with proper approximation. This is the true physical law behind our model. Based on this insight, Coded Shack-Hartmann can be interpreted as an illumination post-modulated wavefront sensor. This offers a new theoretical approach for wavefront sensor design.