Modal-based phase retrieval using Gaussian radial basis functions.

In this paper, we propose the use of Gaussian radial basis functions (GRBFs) to model the generalized pupil function for phase retrieval. The selection of the GRBF hyper-parameters is analyzed to achieve an increased accuracy of approximation. The performance of the GRBF-based method is compared in a simulation study with another modal-based approach considering extended Nijboer-Zernike (ENZ) polynomials. The almost local character of the GRBFs makes them a much more flexible basis with respect to the pupil geometry. It has been shown that for aberrations containing higher spatial frequencies, the GRBFs outperform ENZ polynomials significantly, even on a circular pupil. Moreover, the flexibility has been demonstrated by considering the phase retrieval problem on an annular pupil.

Nonlinear spline wavefront reconstruction through moment-based Shack-Hartmann sensor measurements.

We propose a spline-based aberration reconstruction method through moment measurements (SABRE-M). The method uses first and second moment information from the focal spots of the SH sensor to reconstruct the wavefront with bivariate simplex B-spline basis functions. The proposed method, since it provides higher order local wavefront estimates with quadratic and cubic basis functions can provide the same accuracy for SH arrays with a reduced number of subapertures and, correspondingly, larger lenses which can be beneficial for application in low light conditions. In numerical experiments the performance of SABRE-M is compared to that of the first moment method SABRE for aberrations of different spatial orders and for different sizes of the SH array. The results show that SABRE-M is superior to SABRE, in particular for the higher order aberrations and that SABRE-M can give equal performance as SABRE on a SH grid of halved sampling.

High speed wavefront sensorless aberration correction in digital micromirror based confocal microscopy.

The quality of fluorescence microscopy images is often impaired by the presence of sample induced optical aberrations. Adaptive optical elements such as deformable mirrors or spatial light modulators can be used to correct aberrations. However, previously reported techniques either require special sample preparation, or time consuming optimization procedures for the correction of static aberrations. This paper reports a technique for optical sectioning fluorescence microscopy capable of correcting dynamic aberrations in any fluorescent sample during the acquisition. This is achieved by implementing adaptive optics in a non conventional confocal microscopy setup, with multiple programmable confocal apertures, in which out of focus light can be separately detected, and used to optimize the correction performance with a sampling frequency an order of magnitude faster than the imaging rate of the system. The paper reports results comparing the correction performances to traditional image optimization algorithms, and demonstrates how the system can compensate for dynamic changes in the aberrations, such as those introduced during a focal stack acquisition though a thick sample.

Structured film for compensation of anthropogenic radiative forcing.

A possible solution for the global warming problem consists of scattering the solar radiation by a cloud of screens, placed near the inner Lagrange point (L1), between the sun and the earth. The thin film material for such a screen should have a high longevity in space environment, low areal density, high on-axis scattering, very low integral reflectivity over the whole solar spectrum, and good handling properties such as foldability and robustness. We report on experimental fabrication of free-standing robust nitride films satisfying to most optical and mechanical requirements for such a screen.