The measurement of the wavefront at the exit pupil of an optical system is a reliable method to investigate its imaging performance. It is sometimes necessary to compare the measurement obtained with a wavefront sensor to some known aberration function, which is for example given by a simulation or a gold standard measurement technique such as interferometry. For accurate measurement systems, the residual after direct subtraction of the two wavefronts is often partly due to a mismatch between coordinate systems. We present in this paper a method that uses the Zernike expansion of wavefronts to numerically cancel such small alignment errors. We use this algorithm to quantify the accuracy of a custom-built Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor in the measurement of known aberration functions.

© 2010 Optical Society of America

1. V. N. Mahajan, “Zernike Polynomial and Wavefront Fitting,” in Optical Shop Testing, D. Malacara, ed. (Wiley-Interscience, 2007), pp. 498–546. [CrossRef]
2. J. Pfund, N. Lindlein, and J. Schwider, “Misalignment effects of the Shack–Hartmann sensor,” Appl. Opt. 37, 22–27 (1998). [CrossRef]
3. D. R. Neal, J. Copland, and D. Neal, “Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor precision and accuracy,” Proc. SPIE 4779, 148–160 (2002). [CrossRef]
4. P. Rodrguez, R. Navarro, J. Arines, and S. Bara, “A new calibration set of phase plates for ocular aberrometers,” J. Refract. Surg. 22, 275–284 (2006).
5. K. M. Morzinski, K. B. W. Harpsoe, D. T. Gavel, and S. M. Ammons, “The open-loop control of MEMS: modeling and experimental results,” Proc. SPIE 6467, 64670G (2007). [CrossRef]
6. L. Lundstrom, and P. Unsbo, “Transformation of Zernike coefficients: scaled, translated, and rotated wavefronts with circular and elliptical pupils,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 24, 569–577 (2007). [CrossRef]
7. S. Bara, J. Arines, J. Ares, and P. Prado, “Direct transformation of Zernike eye aberration coefficients between scaled, rotated, and/or displaced pupils,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 23, 2061–2066 (2006). [CrossRef]
8. R. Navarro, E. Moreno-Barriuso, S. Bara, and T. Mancebo, “Phase plates for wave-aberration compensation in the human eye,” Opt. Lett. 25, 236–238 (2000). [CrossRef]
9. H. Schreiber, and J. H. Bruning, “Phase Shifting Interferometry,” in Optical Shop Testing, D. Malacara, ed. (Wiley-Interscience, 2007), pp. 547–666. [CrossRef]

Appl. Opt.

• J. Pfund, N. Lindlein, and J. Schwider, “Misalignment effects of the Shack–Hartmann sensor,” Appl. Opt. 37, 22–27 (1998). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. A

• L. Lundstrom, and P. Unsbo, “Transformation of Zernike coefficients: scaled, translated, and rotated wavefronts with circular and elliptical pupils,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 24, 569–577 (2007). [CrossRef]
• S. Bara, J. Arines, J. Ares, and P. Prado, “Direct transformation of Zernike eye aberration coefficients between scaled, rotated, and/or displaced pupils,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 23, 2061–2066 (2006). [CrossRef]

J. Refract. Surg.

• P. Rodrguez, R. Navarro, J. Arines, and S. Bara, “A new calibration set of phase plates for ocular aberrometers,” J. Refract. Surg. 22, 275–284 (2006).

Opt. Lett.

• R. Navarro, E. Moreno-Barriuso, S. Bara, and T. Mancebo, “Phase plates for wave-aberration compensation in the human eye,” Opt. Lett. 25, 236–238 (2000). [CrossRef]

Proc. SPIE

• K. M. Morzinski, K. B. W. Harpsoe, D. T. Gavel, and S. M. Ammons, “The open-loop control of MEMS: modeling and experimental results,” Proc. SPIE 6467, 64670G (2007). [CrossRef]
• D. R. Neal, J. Copland, and D. Neal, “Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor precision and accuracy,” Proc. SPIE 4779, 148–160 (2002). [CrossRef]

Other

• H. Schreiber, and J. H. Bruning, “Phase Shifting Interferometry,” in Optical Shop Testing, D. Malacara, ed. (Wiley-Interscience, 2007), pp. 547–666. [CrossRef]
• V. N. Mahajan, “Zernike Polynomial and Wavefront Fitting,” in Optical Shop Testing, D. Malacara, ed. (Wiley-Interscience, 2007), pp. 498–546. [CrossRef]

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Related Journal Articles

• Frequency comb generation using femtosecond pulses and cross-phase modulation in optical fiber at arbitrary center frequencies (OL)
• Ultrahigh long-term dimensional stability of a sapphire cryogenic optical resonator (OL)
• Mode-Field Diameter of Single-Mode Optical Fiber by Far-Field Scanning (AO)
• Mode-Field Diameter of Single-Mode Optical Fiber by Far-Field Scanning: Addendum (AO)
• Tunable Extended-Cavity Diode Laser Stabilized on Iodine at λ = 633 nm (AO)

Related Conference Papers

• A Light Source for the 1S0-3P0 Optical Clock Transition in Ytterbium
• Ultrahigh Dynamic-Range Portable Distance Meter Using an Optical Frequency Comb
• Displacement Metrology Setup with Sub-pm Stability in Air Utilizing a Fs-Comb Based Wavelength Synthesizer
• The Optical Equivalent to a Microwave Frequency Synthesizer
• NIST Optoelectronic Measurements for Fiber Optic Applications