Quantitative estimation of density variation in high-speed flows through inversion of the measured wavefront distortion

A simple method employing an optical probe is presented to measure density variations in a hypersonic flow obstructed by a test model in a typical shock tunnel. The probe has a plane light wave trans-illuminating the flow and casting a shadow of a random dot pattern. Local slopes of the distorted wavefront are obtained from shifts of the dots in the pattern. Local shifts in the dots are accurately measured by cross-correlating local shifted shadows with the corresponding unshifted originals. The measured slopes are suitably unwrapped by using a discrete cosine transform based phase unwrapping procedure and also through iterative procedures. The unwrapped phase information is used in an iterative scheme for a full quantitative recovery of density distribution in the shock around the model through refraction tomographic inversion. Hypersonic flow field parameters around a missile shaped body at a free-stream Mach number of 5.8 measured using this technique are compared with the numerically estimated values. (C) 2014 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Measurement of the diffraction-limit wavefront with double-shearing interferometers

In order to measure the diffraction-limit wavefront, we present three types of common-path double-shearing interferometers based on the theory of double shearing. Two pairs of half-aperture or whole-aperture wedge plates are used to introduce opposite tilt to realize the double-shearing function. By comparing the fringe widths in two fields, the marginal wavefront aberration can be obtained. In the paper, we give three different configurations: half-aperture configuration, whole-field configuration and double-interferometer configuration. The half-aperture configuration has the features of high sensitivity, stabilization and easy alignment. For the whole-field configuration, the interference fringes are displayed in two whole fields. Consequently, the divergent or convergent characteristic and aberration types of a wavefront can be identified visually. The whole-field configuration can be changed to the double-interferometer configuration for continuous test. Both small and large wavefront aberrations can be measured by the double-interferometer configuration. The minimum detectable wavefront aberration (W-0)(min) comes to 0.03 lambda. Lastly, we present the experimental results for the three types of double-shearing interferometers.

Phase-space analysis of wavefront coding imaging systems

We explore the use of the Radon-Wigner transform, which is associated with the fractional Fourier transform of the pupil function, for determining the point spread function (PSF) of an incoherant defocused optical system. Then we introduce these phase-space tools to analyse the wavefront coding imaging system. It is shown that the shape of the PSF for such a system is highly invarient to the defocous-related aberrations except for a lateral shift. The optical transfer function of this system is also investigated briefly from a new understanding of ambiguity function.

Wavefront conversion by local volume holograms between cylindrical and plane waves with reconstruction at a different readout wavelength

Based on the two-dimensional coupled-wave theory, the wavefront conversion between cylindrical and plane waves by local volume holograms recorded at 632.8 nm and reconstructed at 800 nm is investigated. The proposed model can realize the 90 degrees holographic readout at a different readout wavelength. The analytical integral solutions for the amplitudes of the space harmonics of the field inside the transmission geometry are presented. The values of the off-Bragg parameter at the reconstructed process and the diffracted beam's amplitude distribution are analysed. In addition, the dependences of diffraction efficiency on the focal length of the recording cylindrical wave and on the geometrical dimensions of the grating are discussed. Furthermore, the focusing properties of this photorefractive holographic cylindrical lens are analysed.

Wavefront measurement of double-clad pulsed ytterbium fiber laser

Because of high efficiencies, compact structure, and excellent heat dissipation, high-power fiber lasers are extremely useful for applications such as cutting, welding, precision drilling, trimming, sensing, optical transmitter, material processing, micromachining, and so on. However, the wavefront of the double clad fiber laser doped with ytterbium is still unknown. In this paper, wavefront of a fiber laser is measured and the traditional Hartmann-shack wavefront sensing method is adopted. We measured a double clad fiber laser doped with ytterbium which produces pulse wave output at infrared wavelength. The wavefront shape and contour are reconstructed and the result shows that wavefront is slightly focused and not an ideal plane wavefront. Wavefront measurement of fiber laser will be useful to improving the lasers' performance and developing the coherent technique for its applications.

Measurement of the wavefront of a laser diode system for intersatellite communication by a Jamin double-shearing interferometer

The frame of a laser diode transmitter for intersatellite communication is concisely introduced. A simple, novel and visual method for measuring the diffraction-limited wavefront of the transmitter by a Jamin double-shearing interferometer is proposed. To verify the validity of the measurement, the far-field divergence of beam is additionally rigorously analysed in terms of the Fraunhofer diffraction. The measurement, the necessary analyses and discussion are given in detail. By directly measuring the fringe widths and quantitatively interpreting the interference fringes, the minimum detectable wavefront height (DWH) of the wavefront is only 0.2 gimel (the distance between the perfect plane wavefront and the actual wavefront at the transmitting aperture) and the corresponding divergence is only 65.84 mu rad. This indicates that the wavefront approaches the diffraction-limited condition. The results show that this interferometer is a powerful tool for testing the semiconductor laser beam's wavefront, especially the diffraction-limited wavefront.

Optimization of nanotube electrode geometry in a liquid crystal media from wavefront aberrations

This paper presents experimental optimization of number and geometry of nanotube electrodes in a liquid crystal media from wavefront aberrations for realizing nanophotonic devices. The refractive-index gradient profiles from different nanotube geometries-arrays of one, three, four, and five-were studied along with wavefront aberrations using Zernike polynomials. The optimizations help the device to make application in the areas of voltage reconfigurable microlens arrays, high-resolution displays, wavefront sensors, holograms, and phase modulators. © 2012 Optical Society of America.