High precision Zernike modal gray map reconstruction for liquid crystal corrector.

This paper proposes a new Zernike modal gray map reconstruction algorithm used in the nematic liquid crystal adaptive optics system. Firstly, the new modal algorithm is described. Secondly, a single loop correction experiment was conducted, and it showed that the modal method has a higher precision in gray map reconstruction than the widely used slope method. Finally, the contrast close-loop correction experiment was conducted to correct static aberration in the laboratory. The experimental results showed that the average peak to valley (PV) and root mean square (RMS) of the wavefront corrected by mode method were reduced from 2.501 (&lgr; = 633 nm) and 0.610&lgr; to 0.0334&lgr; and 0.00845&lgr;, respectively. The corrected PV and RMS were much smaller than those of 0.173&lgr; and 0.048&lgr; by slope method. The Strehl ratio and modulation transfer function of the system corrected by mode method were much closer to diffraction limit than with slope method. These results indicate that the mode method can take good advantage of the large number of pixels of the liquid crystal corrector to realize high correction precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]