Multi-Angular Wavefront Sensing From a Single Image Acquisition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wavefront sensors (WFS) can only measure a single wavefront per image acquisition and are unable to simultaneously reconstruct wavefronts from multiple beams originating from different propagation directions, limiting their application in adaptive optics and diffractive tomography.
Innovation Solution
A method for determining wavefront shapes of multiple angular channels using a single image acquisition, employing an optical assembly with an optical mask and imaging sensor that generates uncorrelated intensity patterns based on wavefront shapes, allowing for simultaneous measurement of wavefronts from different propagation directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sequential acquisitions are used to measure multiple wavefronts, then measurement completeness is improved, but measurement time and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement process by dividing the detector's field of view into multiple regions of interest, each corresponding to a different propagation direction. This allows simultaneous measurement of multiple wavefronts in a single acquisition by processing different regions independently, thus improving productivity while maintaining measurement completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces angular multiplexing by utilizing the spatial dimension of the detector to encode multiple wavefronts simultaneously. By assigning different propagation directions to different spatial regions in the detector plane, the system can measure multiple wavefronts in parallel within a single acquisition, resolving the contradiction between completeness and speed.
2Device complexity
If a single intensity pattern is measured, then device simplicity is improved, but measurement capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the single intensity pattern measurement capable of multiple functions by implementing angular multiplexing. The same detector and optical path can simultaneously measure multiple wavefronts from different propagation directions by processing different regions of the intensity pattern, thus enhancing adaptability without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts additional measurement capability from the spatial dimension of the intensity pattern. By analyzing different regions of the same intensity pattern corresponding to different angular channels, the system achieves multi-wavefront measurement capability while maintaining a simple single-pattern detection structure.
3Measurement precision
If sequential measurements are performed for different propagation directions, then measurement accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the intensity pattern into multiple regions of interest, each dedicated to a specific propagation direction. This segmentation allows independent processing of each wavefront from its corresponding region, maintaining reconstruction accuracy while enabling simultaneous measurement that eliminates sequential time delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous simultaneous measurement of multiple wavefronts in a single acquisition. By processing multiple regions of the intensity pattern concurrently rather than sequentially, the system eliminates idle time between measurements and achieves continuous useful action across all angular channels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables simultaneous measurement of wavefronts from multiple directions, enhancing applications in optical metrology, quantitative phase microscopy, diffractive tomography, adaptive optics, and optical thermometry, while reducing costs and system complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The mask is used to create an intensity pattern on the camera... The intensity pattern changes due to the wavefront change, even in the absence of intensity modulation, because of the mask that is placed before the intensity detector
Implementation Method 2
for two incident beams Mn, Mm of respective propagation directions determined by mean propagation direction vectors pn, pm respectively, said incident beams Mn, Mm having a same wavefront shape and separated from each other by a separation angle defined by ∠(pn, pm) larger than the angular memory effect δα, to produce uncorrelated intensity patterns
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 4
Figure 6A~7A
AI summary
A method for determining wavefront shapes of N angular channels CL of different propagation directions PL, said propagation directions PL being determined by a mean propagation direction vector uL⇀, from a single signal image acquisition I(x,y) of a multi-angular signal light beam containing said angular channels, each angular channel Ci being separated from other angular channels Cj by an angular separation Δαij defined by Δαij=arccosuι⇀uJ⇀, where "." stands for the inner product between uι⇀ and uJ⇀.