wavefront sensor
(WFS)
(instrument for determining a wave's deformation)
A wavefront sensor is an instrument for determining an EMR
wave's deformation,
used to control a correcting instrument in an adaptive optics (AO) system.
Types include:
- Shack-Hartmann sensor - focuses spots and senses their position.
- wavefront curvature sensor - focuses spots and measures relative intensity.
- pyramid sensor - splits image four ways, each from a quarter of the aperture, so their positions can be compared.
The deformation of interest consists of the wave lacking coherence
of its phase, i.e., over a cross-section of the passing
EMR, some has its wave peak passing earlier and some later.
If the EMR is collimated, the deformation
consists of it being something other than a plane wave,
and if it is focused to or from a point, the problem consists of
the wave's peak varying in its distance from the focal point.
(instrument type,adaptive optics,telescopes,waves)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_optics#Wavefront_sensing_and_correction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_sensor
http://www.ctio.noirlab.edu/~atokovin/tutorial/Lecture3.pdf
https://www.axiomoptics.com/application/wavefront-sensing-aaplications/
Referenced by pages:
adaptive optics (AO)
deformable mirror (DM)
MMT
SUNRISE
wavefront error (WFE)
Index