hullámfrontdetektor

A hullámfrontdetektor, often translated as wavefront detector or sensor, is a device used to measure the shape of a wavefront of light. This shape is critical because it describes how the light has been distorted as it traveled through a medium, such as the Earth's atmosphere or an optical system. By precisely measuring these distortions, a hullámfrontdetektor can provide information that allows for corrections to be made.

These devices typically work by analyzing the spatial variations in the light's phase. One common type is the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. It uses a microlens array to divide the incoming beam into smaller segments. Each microlens focuses its portion of the beam onto a detector plane. If the wavefront is perfectly flat, each spot will be in its expected position. However, if the wavefront is distorted, the spots will be displaced from their ideal locations, and the pattern of these displacements reveals the wavefront's shape. Another type is the phase-shifting interferometer, which compares the incoming wavefront to a known reference wavefront and measures the interference pattern.

Hullámfrontdetektorok are essential in adaptive optics systems. These systems use the measurements from a wavefront detector to control deformable mirrors or other optical elements. By rapidly adjusting the shape of these elements based on the detected wavefront distortions, adaptive optics can compensate for aberrations, leading to much sharper images. Applications are found in astronomy, where they correct for atmospheric turbulence; in microscopy, to improve resolution; in laser systems for beam shaping and control; and in optical metrology.