In-focus wavefront sensing using non-redundant mask-induced pupil diversity

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method for wavefront sensing that combines in-focus imaging with non-redundant pupil masks to resolve ambiguities in aberration measurement, demonstrated on simulated JWST mirror data.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach that integrates NRM fringe phase information with phase retrieval to accurately determine true aberrations in in-focus images.

Findings

Successfully resolves phase ambiguity in wavefront sensing.

Accurately measures simulated JWST mirror aberrations.

Enhances wavefront estimation precision using NRM data.

Abstract

Wavefront estimation using in-focus image data is critical to many applications. This data is invariant to a sign flip with complex conjugation of the complex amplitude in the pupil, making for a non-unique solution. Information from an in-focus image taken through a non-redundant pupil mask (NRM) can break this ambiguity, enabling the true aberration to be determined. We demonstrate this by priming a full pupil Gerchberg-Saxton phase retrieval with NRM fringe phase information. We apply our method to measure simulated aberrations on the segmented James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) mirror using full pupil and NRM data from its Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS).