, "Deep-turbulence wavefront sensing using digital-holographic detection in the off-axis image plane recording geometry," Opt. Eng. Abstract. This paper develops wave-optics simulations which explore the estimation accuracy of digital-holographic detection for wavefront sensing in the presence of distributed-volume or "deep" turbulence and detection noise. Specifically, the analysis models spherical-wave propagation through varying deep-turbulence conditions along a horizontal propagation path and formulates the field-estimated Strehl ratio as a function of the diffractionlimited sampling quotient and signal-to-noise ratio. Such results will allow the reader to assess the number of pixels, pixel field of view, pixel-well depth, and read-noise standard deviation needed from a focal-plane array when using digital-holographic detection in the off-axis image plane recording geometry for deep-turbulence wavefront sensing. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.

This paper uses wave-optics and signal-to-noise models to explore the estimation accuracy of digital-holographic detection in the off-axis pupil plane recording geometry for deep-turbulence wavefront sensing. In turn, the analysis examines three important parameters: the number of pixels across the width of the focal-plane array, the window radius in the Fourier plane, and the signal-to-noise ratio. By varying these parameters, the wave-optics and signal-to-noise models quantify performance via a metric referred to as the field-estimated Strehl ratio, and the analysis leads to a method for optimal windowing of the turbulence-limited point spread function. Altogether, the results will allow future research efforts to assess the number of pixels, pixel size, pixel-well depth, and read-noise standard deviation needed from a focal-plane array when using digital-holographic detection in the off-axis pupil plane recording geometry for estimating the complex-optical field when in the presence of deep turbulence and detection noise.

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The ability of the plenoptic camera to perform ranging has been recognized since the camera's inception. It is possible to think of the range finding operation performed by the camera alternatively in terms of "depth from parallax," "depth from defocus," or even "depth through refocusing." Each of these conceptions of the problem leads to a different approach, often yielding varying results in terms of performance and efficiency. However, each is subject to the same fundamental limitations. This research attempts to formulate this theoretical limit on ranging performance. In the process, it also provides a spatial domain explanation of "light field spreading," a sampling phenomenon of importance for both image formation and ranging, which has elsewhere been explained in the frequency domain under the assumption of band limitedness. Finally, the research describes implementations of rangefinding procedures, and provides some results for a sample plenoptic camera.

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