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Optical Wavefront Sensing
Measuring the shape of optical wavefronts is important in areas such as astronomical imaging through the atmosphere, laser fusion experiments and (more mundanely) the testing of optical componenets. The conventional method to measure the shape of an optical wavefront is by interferometry in which the wavefront is compared with that from a reference lens or a flat surface. This technique although quite easy to implement is very sensitive to mechanical disturbance and is subject to errors if the reference lens or flat surface is not well characterised.
The aim of this project is to investigate the feasibility of an alternative method. This involves simply recording the intensity pattern formed at the focus of a lens when it is imaging a small spot of light and of also recording the intensity pattern in a de-focussed plane. Mathematical techniques may then be used to recover the shape of the wavefront leaving the lens from this data. The crucial issue to be investigated relate to the accuracy with which the intensity patterns may be recorded with different detection schemes (e.g. CCD detectors) and to investigate how any inaccuracies or distortions influence the recovery of the wavefront shape.
The project will involve experimental lab-based optical work, theoretical modelling and computer-based simulation.
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