Search

Orthonormal bases serve as a powerful mathematical tool in theoretical and experimental optics. However, producing arbitrary optical fields in real-world experiments is limited by the hardware, which in many cases involves a phase-only spatial light modulator. Since most basis functions also have a varying amplitude component, they cannot be represented truthfully. We present a general method to construct an orthonormal phase-only basis, optionally possessing desirable properties like smoothness and symmetry. We demonstrate the practical benefit of our approach in a wavefront shaping experiment, achieving a factor 1.5 increase in performance over a non-orthonormal phase only basis., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures

Wavefront shaping is a technique for directing light through turbid media. The theoretical aspects of wavefront shaping are well understood, and under near-ideal experimental conditions, accurate predictions for the expected signal enhancement can be given. In practice, however, there are many experimental factors that negatively affect the outcome of the experiment. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of these experimental factors, including the effect of sample scattering properties, noise, and response of the spatial light modulator. We present simple means to identify experimental imperfections and to minimize their negative effect on the outcome of the experiment. This paper is accompanied by Python code for automatically quantifying experimental problems using the OpenWFS framework for running and simulating wavefront shaping experiments., Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures, submitted for publication in Journal of Physics Photonics