<title>Optoelectronic Zernike filter for high-resolution wavefront analysis using phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator</title>

Abstract

ABTRACTAn opto-electronic technique for high-resolution wave-front phase imaging is presented and demonstrated experimentally. The technique is analogous to the conventional Zernike phase-contrast approach, but uses modern spatial light modulator technology to increase robustness and improve performance. Because they provide direct measurements of wave-front phase (rather than wave-front slope measurements, as in Shack-Hartmann sensors), robust phase-contrast sensors have potential applications in high-speed, high-resolution adaptive optic systems. Advantages of the opto-electronic approach over alternative advanced phase-contrast techniques (such as a related phase-contrast sensor which uses a liquid-crystal light valve exhibiting a Kerr-type optical response to perform Fourier filtering) are discussed. The SLM used for the experimental results is a 128×128-element pixilated phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator from Boulder Nonlinear Systems, Inc.

Optically addressable hybrid: photoconducting polymer-liquid crystal panels

“…Recently Carhart et a!. [18] have shown that by using an LC spatial light modulator (SLM) the Zemike type filtering can be also realized. By using developed by us HPLC panel we were also able to demonstrate very recently this kind of application [19].…”