Aberrated laser beams in terms of Zernike polynomials

Javier Alda; Jose Alonso; Eusebio Bernabeu

doi:10.1117/12.259939

20 November 1996 Aberrated laser beams in terms of Zernike polynomials

Javier Alda, Jose Alonso, Eusebio Bernabeu

Proceedings Volume 2870, Third International Workshop on Laser Beam and Optics Characterization; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.259939
Event: Third International Workshop on Laser Beam and Optics Characterization, 1996, Quebec City, Canada

Abstract

The characterization of light beams has devoted a lot of attention in the past decade. Several formalisms have been presented to treat the problem of parameter invariance and characterization in the propagation of light beam along ideal, ABCD, optical systems. The hard and soft apertured optical systems have been treated too. Also some aberrations have been analyzed, but it has not appeared a formalism able to treat the problem as a whole. In this contribution we use a classical approach to describe the problem of aberrated, and therefore apertured, light beams. The wavefront aberration is included in a pure phase term expanded in terms of the Zernike polynomials. Then, we can use the relation between the lower order Zernike polynomia and the Seidel or third order aberrations. We analyze the astigmatism, the spherical aberration and the coma, and we show how higher order aberrations can be taken into account. We have calculated the divergence, and the radius of curvature of such aberrated beams and the influence of these aberrations in the quality of the light beam. Some numerical simulations have been done to illustrate the method.

Citation Download Citation

Javier Alda, Jose Alonso, and Eusebio Bernabeu "Aberrated laser beams in terms of Zernike polynomials", Proc. SPIE 2870, Third International Workshop on Laser Beam and Optics Characterization, (20 November 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.259939

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