Advanced wave-front sensing by quadri-wave lateral shearing interferometry

Based on multi-lateral shearing interferometry, a powerful technique, called the Quadri-Wave Lateral Shearing Interferometer (QWLSI) is used to evaluate the wavefront in an accurate and precise way. Our device can be used for the characterization of complex and very aberrant optical devices, the control of optical components and also for laser beam evaluation. This communication will detail the response of the QWLSI and its metrological performances, such as its high resolution, its adjustable sensitivity and dynamic. It will then be focused on two innovative applications of the QWLSI. The first application concerns the evaluation of infrared lenses dedicated to high-performance cameras. We will present experimental results recently completed by our prototype dedicated to the LWIR domain (lambda=8-14 mu m). In a second part, we will study the possibility to analyze wave-fronts with discontinuities. Such wave-fronts can be produced by segmented mirrors, diffractive components or also bundle of single-mode fibers. We will finally present simulation results for this latter application.