Experimental demonstration of wavefront reconstruction and correction techniques for variable targets based on distorted grating and deep learning

Opt Express. 2024 May 6;32(10):17775-17792. doi: 10.1364/OE.519163.

Abstract

This research presents a practical approach for wavefront reconstruction and correction adaptable to variable targets, with the aim of constructing a high-precision, general extended target adaptive optical system. Firstly, we delve into the detailed design of a crucial component, the distorted grating, simplifying the optical system implementation while circumventing potential issues in traditional phase difference-based collection methods. Subsequently, normalized fine features (NFFs) and structure focus features (SFFs) which both are independent of the imaging target but corresponded precisely to the wavefront aberration are proposed. The two features provide a more accurate and robust characterization of the wavefront aberrations. Then, a Noise-to-Denoised Generative Adversarial Network (N2D-GAN) is employed for denoising real images. And a lightweight network, Attention Mechanism-based Efficient Network (AM-EffNet), is applied to achieve efficient and high-precision mapping between features and wavefronts. A prototype of object-independent adaptive optics system is demonstrated by experimental setup, and the effectiveness of this method in wavefront reconstruction for different imaging targets has been verified. This research holds significant relevance for engineering applications of adaptive optics, providing robust support for addressing challenges within practical systems.