High order dark wavefront sensing simulations

TL;DR

This paper presents simulations of an idealized dark wavefront sensor based on quantum-inspired interferometry, aiming to determine the maximum potential gain and performance limits of such a device.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation framework for a perfect white-light dark wavefront sensor, providing insights into its theoretical maximum gain and performance bounds.

Findings

Simulation of a perfect dark wavefront sensor demonstrates maximum achievable gain.

The model provides a benchmark for real-world sensor performance.

Extensions to include noise sources are discussed for future research.

Abstract

Dark wavefront sensing takes shape following quantum mechanics concepts in which one is able to "see" an object in one path of a two-arm interferometer using an as low as desired amount of light actually "hitting" the occulting object. A theoretical way to achieve such a goal, but in the realm of wavefront sensing, is represented by a combination of two unequal beams interferometer sharing the same incoming light, and whose difference in path length is continuously adjusted in order to show different signals for different signs of the incoming perturbation. Furthermore, in order to obtain this in white light, the path difference should be properly adjusted vs the wavelength used. While we incidentally describe how this could be achieved in a true optomechanical setup, we focus our attention to the simulation of a hypothetical "perfect" dark wavefront sensor of this kind in which white light compensation is accomplished in a perfect manner and the gain is selectable in a numerical fashion. Although this would represent a sort of idealized dark wavefront sensor that would probably be hard to match in the real glass and metal, it would also give a firm indication of the maximum achievable gain or, in other words, of the prize for achieving such device. Details of how the simulation code works and first numerical results are outlined along with the perspective for an in-depth analysis of the performances and its extension to more realistic situations, including various sources of additional noise.