Orthonormal polynomials in wavefront analysis: analytical solution

Zernike circle polynomials are in widespread use for wavefront analysis because of their orthogonality over a circular pupil and their representation of balanced classical aberrations. In recent papers, we derived closed-form polynomials that are orthonormal over a hexagonal pupil, such as the hexagonal segments of a large mirror. We extend our work to elliptical, rectangular, and square pupils. Using the circle polynomials as the basis functions for their orthogonalization over such pupils, we derive closed-form polynomials that are orthonormal over them. These polynomials are unique in that they are not only orthogonal across such pupils, but also represent balanced classical aberrations, just as the Zernike circle polynomials are unique in these respects for circular pupils. The polynomials are given in terms of the circle polynomials as well as in polar and Cartesian coordinates. Relationships between the orthonormal coefficients and the corresponding Zernike coefficients for a given pupil are also obtained. The orthonormal polynomials for a one-dimensional slit pupil are obtained as a limiting case of a rectangular pupil.     

Orthonormal polynomials in wavefront analysis: error analysis

Zernike circle polynomials are in widespread use for wavefront analysis because of their orthogonality over a circular pupil and their representation of balanced classical aberrations. However, they are not appropriate for noncircular pupils, such as annular, hexagonal, elliptical, rectangular, and square pupils, due to their lack of orthogonality over such pupils. We emphasize the use of orthonormal polynomials for such pupils, but we show how to obtain the Zernike coefficients correctly. We illustrate that the wavefront fitting with a set of orthonormal polynomials is identical to the fitting with a corresponding set of Zernike polynomials. This is a consequence of the fact that each orthonormal polynomial is a linear combination of the Zernike polynomials. However, since the Zernike polynomials do not represent balanced aberrations for a noncircular pupil, the Zernike coefficients lack the physical significance that the orthonormal coefficients provide. We also analyze the error that arises if Zernike polynomials are used for noncircular pupils by treating them as circular pupils and illustrate it with numerical examples.     

Comparison of annular wavefront interpretation with Zernike circle polynomials and annular polynomials

A general wavefront fitting procedure with Zernike annular polynomials for circular and annular pupils is proposed. For interferometric data of typical annular wavefronts with smaller and larger obscuration ratios, the results fitted with Zernike annular polynomials are compared with those of Zernike circle polynomials. Data are provided demonstrating that the annular wavefront expressed with Zernike annular polynomials is more accurate and meaningful for the decomposition of aberrations, the calculation of Seidel aberrations, and the removal of misalignments in interferometry. The primary limitations of current interferogram reduction software with Zernike circle polynomials in analyzing wavefronts of annular pupils are further illustrated, and some reasonable explanations are provided. It is suggested that the use of orthogonal basis functions on the pupils of the wavefronts analyzed is more appropriate.     

Zernike-gauss polynomials and optical aberrations of systems with gaussian pupils

In the first two Notes of this series,(l,2) we discussed Zernike circle and annular polynomials that represent optimally balanced classical aberrations of systems with uniform circular or annular pupils, respectively. Here we discuss Zernike-Gauss polynomials which are the corresponding polynomials for systems with Gaussian circular or annular pupils.(3-5) Such pupils, called apodized pupils, are used in optical imaging to reduce the secondary rings of the pointspread functions of uniform pupils.(6) Propagation of Gaussian laser beams also involves such pupils.     

矩形孔径上折射率均匀性数据拟合研究

泽尼克圆多项式在圆形光瞳的正交性和能够代表经典像差而被广泛应用到波前分析中,用泽尼克圆多项式作为矩形光瞳基底函数,通过推导得到在矩形光瞳上正交的多项式.这个在矩形光瞳上正交的多项式不仅是唯一的,而且也能够表示经典像差,就像泽尼克圆多项式在表示圆形光瞳时具有这样的特性一样.矩形光瞳上正交多项式像泽尼克圆多项式一样即可以用...     

Zernike annular polynomials and optical aberrations of systems with annular pupils

Zernike annular polynomials that represent orthogonal andbalanced aberrations suitable for systems with annular pupilsare described. Their numbering scheme is the same asfor Zernike circle polynomials. Expressions for standard deviationof primary and balanced primary aberrations are given.     

Zernike polynomials and optical aberrations

The use of Zernike polynomials to calculate the standard deviation of a primary aberration across a circular, annular, or a Gaussian pupil is described. The standard deviation of secondary aberrations is also discussed briefly.     

Zernike representation and Strehl ratio of optical systems with variable numerical aperture

We consider optical systems with variable numerical aperture (NA) on the level of the Zernike coefficients of the correspondingly scalable pupil function. We thus present formulas for the Zernike coefficients and their first two derivatives as a function of the scaling factor ε ≤ 1, and we apply this to the Strehl ratio and its derivatives of NA-reduced optical systems. The formulas for the Zernike coefficients of NA-reduced optical systems are also useful for the forward calculation of point-spread functions and aberration retrieval within the Extended Nijboer–Zernike (ENZ) formalism for optical systems with reduced NA or systems that have a central obstruction. Thus, we retrieve a Gaussian, comatic pupil function on an annular set from the intensity point-spread function in the focal region under high-NA conditions.     

Full-aperture wavefront reconstruction from annular subaperture interferometric data by use of Zernike annular polynomials and a matrix method for testing large aspheric surfaces

We propose a more accurate and efficient reconstruction method used in testing large aspheric surfaces with annular subaperture interferometry. By the introduction of the Zernike annular polynomials that are orthogonal over the annular region, the method proposed here eliminates the coupling problem in the earlier reconstruction algorithm based on Zernike circle polynomials. Because of the complexity of recurrence definition of Zernike annular polynomials, a general symbol representation of that in a computing program is established. The program implementation for the method is provided in detail. The performance of the reconstruction algorithm is evaluated in some pertinent cases, such as different random noise levels, different subaperture configurations, and misalignments.     

Systematic comparison of the use of annular and Zernike circle polynomials for annular wavefronts

The theory of wavefront analysis of a noncircular wavefront is given and applied for a systematic comparison of the use of annular and Zernike circle polynomials for the analysis of an annular wavefront. It is shown that, unlike the annular coefficients, the circle coefficients generally change as the number of polynomials used in the expansion changes. Although the wavefront fit with a certain number of circle polynomials is identically the same as that with the corresponding annular polynomials, the piston circle coefficient does not represent the mean value of the aberration function, and the sum of the squares of the other coefficients does not yield its variance. The interferometer setting errors of tip, tilt, and defocus from a four-circle-polynomial expansion are the same as those from the annular-polynomial expansion. However, if these errors are obtained from, say, an 11-circle-polynomial expansion, and are removed from the aberration function, wrong polishing will result by zeroing out the residual aberration function. If the common practice of defining the center of an interferogram and drawing a circle around it is followed, then the circle coefficients of a noncircular interferogram do not yield a correct representation of the aberration function. Moreover, in this case, some of the higher-order coefficients of aberrations that are nonexistent in the aberration function are also nonzero. Finally, the circle coefficients, however obtained, do not represent coefficients of the balanced aberrations for an annular pupil. The various results are illustrated analytically and numerically by considering an annular Seidel aberration function.     

Transformation of Zernike coefficients: scaled, translated, and rotated wavefronts with circular and elliptical pupils

Zernike polynomials and their associated coefficients are commonly used to quantify the wavefront aberrations of the eye. When the aberrations of different eyes, pupil sizes, or corrections are compared or averaged, it is important that the Zernike coefficients have been calculated for the correct size, position, orientation, and shape of the pupil. We present the first complete theory to transform Zernike coefficients analytically with regard to concentric scaling, translation of pupil center, and rotation. The transformations are described both for circular and elliptical pupils. The algorithm has been implemented in MATLAB, for which the code is given in an appendix.     

Zernike coefficients of a scaled pupil

By expressing a scaled Zernike radial polynomial as a linear combination of the unscaled radial polynomials, we give a simple derivation for determining the Zernike coefficients of an aberration function of a scaled pupil in terms of their values for a corresponding unscaled pupil.     

Mean-square residual error of a wavefront after propagation through atmospheric turbulence and after correction with Zernike polynomials

The root-mean-square (rms) of the residual wavefront, after propagation through atmospheric turbulence and corrected from Zernike polynomials, has been derived for the von Kármán turbulence model. The rms for any location in the telescope pupil and the pupil average rms have been calculated. It is shown that the residual rms on the edge of the pupil can be up to 35% larger than the pupil average residual rms. The results are useful to estimate the required rms stroke of deformable mirror (DM) actuators when they are used as a second stage of correction either in a tip-tilt, single-DM configuration or in a tip-tilt, two-DM (woofer-tweeter) setup.     

Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Camera calculated point-spread functions

A set of observed noisy Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Camera point-spread functions is used to recover the combined Hubble and Faint Object Camera wave-front error. The low-spatial-frequency wave-front error is parameterized in terms of a set of 32 annular Zernike polynomials. The midlevel and higher spatial frequencies are parameterized in terms of set of 891 polar-Fourier polynomials. The parameterized wave-front error is used to generate accurate calculated point-spread functions, both pre- and post-COSTAR (corrective optics space telescope axial replacement), suitable for image restoration at arbitrary wavelengths. We describe the phase-retrieval-based recovery process and the phase parameterization. Resultant calculated precorrection and postcorrection point-spread functions are shown along with an estimate of both pre- and post-COSTAR spherical aberration.     

Zernike polynomials: a guide

In this paper we review a special set of orthonormal functions, namely Zernike polynomials which are widely used in representing the aberrations of optical systems. We give the recurrence relations, relationship to other special functions, as well as scaling and other properties of these important polynomials. Mathematica code for certain operations are given in the Appendix.     

On the computation of the nijboer-zernike aberration integrals at arbitrary defocus

Abstract

We present a new computation scheme for the integral expressions describing the contributions of single aberrations to the diffraction integral in the context of an extended Nijboer-Zernike approach. Such a scheme, in the form of a power series involving the defocus parameter with coefficients given explicitly in terms of Bessel functions and binomial coefficients, was presented recently by the authors with satisfactory results for small-to-medium-large defocus values. The new scheme amounts to systemizing the procedure proposed by Nijboer in which the appropriate linearization of products of Zernike polynomials is achieved by using certain results of the modern theory of orthogonal polynomials. It can be used to compute point-spread functions of general optical systems in the presence of arbitrary lens transmission and lens aberration functions and the scheme provides accurate data for any, small or large, defocus value and at any spatial point in one and the same format. The cases with high numerical aperture, requiring a vectorial approach, are equally well handled. The resulting infinite series expressions for these point-spread functions, involving products of Bessel functions, can be shown to be practically immune to loss of digits. In this respect, because of its virtually unlimited defocus range, the scheme is particularly valuable in replacing numerical Fourier transform methods when the defocused pupil functions require intolerably high sampling densities.     

Zernike polynomials as a basis for wave-front fitting in lateral shearing interferometry

A new method for handling Zernike polynomials is presented. Owing to its efficiency, this method enables the use of Zernike polynomials as a basis for wave-front fitting in shearography systems. An excerpt of a C(++) class is presented to show how the polynomials are calculated and represented in computer memory.     

Orthonormal aberration polynomials for anamorphic optical imaging systems with circular pupils

In a recent paper, we considered the classical aberrations of an anamorphic optical imaging system with a rectangular pupil, representing the terms of a power series expansion of its aberration function. These aberrations are inherently separable in the Cartesian coordinates (x,y) of a point on the pupil. Accordingly, there is x-defocus and x-coma, y-defocus and y-coma, and so on. We showed that the aberration polynomials orthonormal over the pupil and representing balanced aberrations for such a system are represented by the products of two Legendre polynomials, one for each of the two Cartesian coordinates of the pupil point; for example, L(l)(x)L(m)(y), where l and m are positive integers (including zero) and L(l)(x), for example, represents an orthonormal Legendre polynomial of degree l in x. The compound two-dimensional (2D) Legendre polynomials, like the classical aberrations, are thus also inherently separable in the Cartesian coordinates of the pupil point. Moreover, for every orthonormal polynomial L(l)(x)L(m)(y), there is a corresponding orthonormal polynomial L(l)(y)L(m)(x) obtained by interchanging x and y. These polynomials are different from the corresponding orthogonal polynomials for a system with rotational symmetry but a rectangular pupil. In this paper, we show that the orthonormal aberration polynomials for an anamorphic system with a circular pupil, obtained by the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization of the 2D Legendre polynomials, are not separable in the two coordinates. Moreover, for a given polynomial in x and y, there is no corresponding polynomial obtained by interchanging x and y. For example, there are polynomials representing x-defocus, balanced x-coma, and balanced x-spherical aberration, but no corresponding y-aberration polynomials. The missing y-aberration terms are contained in other polynomials. We emphasize that the Zernike circle polynomials, although orthogonal over a circular pupil, are not suitable for an anamorphic system as they do not represent balanced aberrations for such a system.     

Gram-Schmidt orthonormalization of Zernike polynomials for general aperture shapes

We present analytical derivations of aberration functions for annular sector apertures. We show that the Zernike functions for circular apertures can be generalized for any aperture shape. Interferogram reduction when Zernike functions were used as a basis set was performed on annular sectors. We have created a computer program to generate orthogonal aberration functions. Completely general aperture shapes and user-selected basis sets may be treated with a digital Gram-Schmidt orthonormalization approach.     

Measurement of telescope aberrations through atmospheric turbulence by use of phase diversity

We conduct computer simulations of the reconstruction of a wave front at a telescope pupil with the phase-diversity method. An instantaneous wave front is reconstructed from focused and defocused specklegrams of a point star. In the wave-front reconstruction we do not fit the wave front to Zernike polynomials but retrieve the phase with a phase-unwrapping procedure. Averaging over many atmospherically perturbed wave fronts leads to the residual phase error, namely, the aberration of the telescope. The scintillation effect, nonuniformity of amplitude on a telescope pupil, is also discussed.