Incoherent digital holographic adaptive optics

An adaptive optical system based on incoherent digital holography is described. Theoretical and experimental studies show that wavefront sensing and compensation can be achieved by numerical processing of digital holograms of incoherent objects and a guide star, thereby dispensing with the hardware components of conventional adaptive optics systems, such as lenslet arrays and deformable mirrors. The incoherent digital holographic adaptive optics (IDHAO) process is seen to be robust and effective under various ranges of parameters, such as aberration type and strength. Furthermore, low and noisy image signals can be extracted by IDHAO to yield high-quality images with good contrast and resolution, both for point-like and continuous extended objects, illuminated with common incoherent light. Potential applications in astronomical and other imaging systems appear plausible. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America